FATHeR.  ISAAC 


S-J 


»^'• 


Columbia  ^nitoem'tp 
tntl)eCitpoflfttitork 

THE  LIBRARIES 


Bequest  of 

Frederic  Bancroft 

1860-1945 


FATHER    ISAAC   JOGUES,   S.  J. 

POUNDER  OF  THE   IROQUOIS    MISSION, 
Kil,ednearAuriesvi!le,N,Y..    October   18.    1646. 


THE   LIFE  OF 

FATHER  ISAAC  JOGUES, 

Pi.$'^'i0ttavy  gvic^t  of  tU^  Society  of  S^jsiu^, 

Slain  by  the  Mo/iatuk  IroqiioiSy  in  the  present  State  of  New 
York,  Oct.  1 8,  1646. 

BY  THE 

Rev.  FELIX    MARTIN,  S.  J. 


WITH 


Father  Jogues'  Account  of  the  Captivity  and  Death  of  his 
Companion,  RENE  GOUPIL,  Slain  Sept.  29,  1642. 


Translated  from  the  French  by 
JOHN    GILMARY    SHEA. 

With  a  Map  of  the  Mohawk  Country,  by  Geti.  John  S.  Clark, 


New  Yokx,  Cincinnati,  .Ai^r  St. -Louis  : 

BENZIG^SR    BROTHKRS, 

printers  to  the  holy 'apostolic  see. 


-'^^"^/uri 


r 


Copyright,  1885, 
By  the  President  of  the  College  of  St.  Francis  Xavjer,  New  York. 


•   «        •  *  *    •     * 


*       •  * 


•  f         • 


TRANSLATOR'S   PREFACE. 


Filled  from  my  youth  with  the  deepest  veneration  for 
Father  Isaac  Jogues,  whose  amiable  character  and  heroic 
death  attracted    even    those   who  could  not  appreciate 
fully  his  virtues  as  a  Christian  and  a  priest,  I  had  read 
in  manuscript  the   life  written  by  Father  Felix  Martin, 
my  guide  and  constant  encourager  in  my  historic  studies. 
To  its  publication  I  earnestly  looked  forward,  hoping  to 
be  able  to  translate  it  into  English.     In  the  long  delay  I 
contributed  what  I  could  to  make  the  illustrious  mission- 
ary known.    When  the  Life  by  Father  Martin  finally  ap- 
peared, my  work   on   the  translation  was   soon   begun  ; 
but  a  respected  friend,  the  Rev.  Joseph  M.  Finotti,  told 
me  that  his  translation  was  far  advanced,  and  begged 
me  to  yield  it  to  him.     To  this  I  consented,  but  though 
he  completed  his  task,  he  found  no  one  ready  to  publish 
it,  and  after  his  death  the  manuscript  fell  into  my  hands. 
To  encourage  the  work   of   Rev.  Father   Loyzance    in 
erecting  the  Chapel  of  Our  Lady  of  Martyrs  at  Auries- 
ville,  where  Father  Jogues  and  Rene  Goupil  were  put 
to  death,  I  offered  this  manuscript,  which  Messrs.  Ben- 
ziger  Brothers  agreed  to  publish.     On  revising  it  for  the 
press,  however,  I  found  that  the  translation  made  dur- 
ing the  long  illness  of  Rev.  Mr.  Finotti  had  never  been 
carefully  compared,  and  that  some  parts  were  missing, 
so  that  I  could  more  easily  make  a  new  translation  than 
revise  the  work  of  my  late  friend.     Hence  the  present 
version  is  mainly  my  own. 


4  Translator  s  Preface. 

To  General  John  S.  Clark  of  Auburn,  all  who  feel  any 
devotion  to  the  pioneer  priest  of  New  York  are  indebted 
for  establishing,  by  his  long  examination  in  records, 
maps,  and  the  successive  sites  of  Indian  towns,  the  exact 
locality  where  Father  Jogues  suffered;  and  to  his  per- 
sonal kindness  this  volume  is  indebted  for  the  map. 

All  profit  arising  from  this  volume  will  be  devoted  to 
the  erection  of  the  Chapel  of  Our  Lady  of  Martyrs. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

Translator's  Preface 3 

Introduction 7 

I.   Birth   of    Isaac    Jogues— His    Education — First    Mass— 

The  Canada  Mission 1 1 

II.  Canada  —  The    Huron     Mission— The    Missionaries   fall 

Sick — Their  Recovery 25 

III.  Recovery  of  the    Missionaries — The  Huron  Language — 

The  Epidemics — Celestial  Favors 40 

IV.   New  Residences — Saint  Mary — Mission  among  the  Tio- 

nontate  Nation — Voyage  to  Sauk  Saint  Marie 52 

V.  The  Iroquois — Father   Jogues   goes   down    to    Quebec — 

His  Captivity 61 

VI.  Sufferings  and  Resignation  of  the  Missionary — Execu- 
tion of  Three  Hurons — A  Christian  and  Generous 
Death 76 

VII.  Captivity  of  Father  Jogues— The  Dutch  Interpose- 
New  Dangers — Murder  of  Rene  Goupil— Consoling 
Dreams 97 

VIII.  WinterHunt— Fasts— Father  Jogues'  Oratory— Celestial 
Comforts  — Return  to  the  Village  —  His  Situation 
changed — He  Studies  the  Mohawk — He  Speaks  of  God 
— Fishing — New  Dangers — Torture  of  Prisoners iii 

IX.  Steps  taken  by  the  Chevalier  de  Montmagny  to  De- 
liver Father  Jogues — The  Missionary's  Letters — His 
Resignation — A  Journey — Unexpected  Meeting— Con- 
solation  • 128 


Contents. 


PAGE 


CHAPTER 

X.  Father  Jogues  sets  out  for  the  Fishery — Fury  of  the  Iro- 
quois—They  wish  to  Burn  him— He  is  Saved  by  a 
Dutch  Captain— He  reaches  Manhattan  Island- 
Sails  for  France 140 

XL  An  Uncomfortable  Voyage— Father  Jogues  in  Brittany- 
Touching  Hospitality— College  at  Rennes — Arrives  in 
Paris— Words  of  the  Sovereign  Pontiff— Returns  to 
Canada— At  Montreal— Couture's  Delivery 156 

XII.  Great  Assembly  at  Three  Rivers— The  Treaty  of  Peace 
— Father  Jogues  among  the  Iroquois— A  Toilsome 
Journey — He  Returns  to  Three  Rivers I75 

XIII.  Third  Visit  of  Father  Jogues  to   the  Mohawks— Ill-treat- 

ment— Division    of    Opinion    in    the    Tribe — Father 
Jogues  is  Put  to  Death — Punishment  of  his  Murderer  194 

XIV.  Virtues  of    Father  Jogues— Favors    Obtained  by  his  In- 

tercession     211 

Rene  Goupil  and  his  Heroic  Death,  from  the  Auto- 
graph of  Father  Jogues 222 

Appendix.  Geography  of  the  Huron  Country — Stephen 
Totiri — Teresa  Oiouhaton — Joseph  Theondechoren — 
Charles  Tsondatsaa  —  Eustace  Ahasistari  —  Novum 
Belgium  :  Father  Jogues'  Account  of  New  Netherland 
in  1642 230 

Map  Showing  Sites  of  the  Mohawk  Villages  in 
1642,  as  located  by  General  John  S.  Clark,  Auburn, 
N.  Y.,  facing 259 

Note.— Identification  of  Mohawk  Sites— The  Pilgrim 
Shrine— Recent  Petitions  for  the  Introduction  of  the 
Cause  of  Beatification 259 


INTRODUCTION. 


At  the  first  glance  it  might  seem  a  matter  of  surprise 
to  see  the  life  of  a  modest  servant  of  God  published 
more  than  two  centuries  after  his  death.  The  name  of 
Father  Jogues,  however,  is  not  unknown  in  history. 
Father  Charlevoix,  the  annalist  of  New  France,  re- 
counted his  labors,  and  especially  his  sufferings,  in  pages 
full  of  deep  emotion.  He  had  only  to  condense  and 
group  together  the  long  and  numerous  details  scattered 
through  the  precious  collection  of  ''  Relations  of  the 
Missions  of  New  France,"  for  the  years  1646  and   1647.* 


*  The  Jesuit  Relations,  as  they  are  called,  comprise  41  small 
octavo  volumes,  prepared  generally  by  the  Superior  of  the  Mis- 
sion. One  was  published  each  year,  and  the  last  appeared  in  1672. 
These  Relations  are  the  most  important,  and  often  the  only,  mate- 
rial for  Canadian  history  at  that  remote  period.  Some  of  these 
volumes  became  so  rare  that  they  could  not  be  found  even  in  the 
great  libraries  in  Europe.  With  a  patriotic  feeling  \forthy  of  all 
praise,  the  Canadian  Government  in  1848  encouraged  their  reprint  in 
three  large  octavo  volumes.  Protestant  writers  beyond  suspicion 
(Bancroft,  Sparks,  Parkman)  have  paid  a  noble  tribute  to  the  value 
of  this  collection.  "With  regard  to  the  condition  and  character  of 
the  primitive  inhabitants  of  North  America,  it  is  impossible  to  ex- 
aggerate their  value  as  an  authority.  I  should  add,  that  the  closest 
examination  has  left  me  no  doubt  that  these  missionaries  wrote  in 
perfect  good  faith,  and  that  the  Relations  hold  a  high  place  as  authen- 
tic and  trustworthy  historical  documents"  (Parkman,  "The  Jesuits 
in  North  America,"  Preface). 


8  Introduction. 

This  had  already  been  done  in  biographical  collections,* 
published  in  Latin,  German,  Italian,  Spanish;  but  the 
size  of  these  works  and  the  languages  in  which  they  are 
written  make  them  acceptable  only  to  a  privileged  class 
of  readers. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  last  century,  the  Abbe  J.  B. 
Forest,  animated  with  just  patriotism,  impelled,  too,  by 
a  feeling  of  piety  and  fraternal  love,  undertook  to  be 
the  historian  of  Father  Jogues.  Like  him  a  native  of 
Orleans,  and  a  Jesuit  till  the  suppression  of  the  Society, 
he  was  better  able  than  any  other  to  seek  information  at 
the  proper  sources.  His  work  fulfilled  the  desire  of  the 
family  of  the  servant  of  God  and  the  wishes  of  his 
native  city,  by  making  known  one  of  its  glorious  sons. 
This  Life  was  completed  just  as  the  French  Revolution 
burst  forth  in  all  its  fury.  The  publication  of  such  a 
work  was  out  of  the  question.  Religion  was  persecuted, 
and  virtue  itself  was  about  to  be  proscribed.  To  the 
shame  of  humanity,  it  found  in  the  midst  of  France  less 
liberty  and  respect  than  Father  Jogues  himself  expe- 
rienced at  the  hands  of  the  bloodthirsty  Iroquois. 

We  have  taken  up  his  task  by  endeavoring  to  com- 
plete it.  The  author  had  not  at  his  disposal  the  pre- 
cious documents  still  preserved  in  Canada,  or  in  the 
archives  of  the  Gesu  at  Rome.  Two  of  these  manu- 
scripts, drawn  up  in  the  lifetime  and  soon  after  the 
death  of  Father  Jogues,  deserve  particular  mention. 
One  is  th^  autograph  journal  of  the  Superior  of  the 
Missionaries  in  New  France,  which  notes  day  by  day 
everything    that    bore  on   their  labors,  and   sometimes 


*  Alegambe,  S.J.,"Mortes  lUustres  et  Gesta,  .  .  .  Soc.  J."— Al.  de 
Andrade,  S.J.,  "Varonis  Illustres  de  la  Compania  de  Jesus." — M. 
Tanner,  S.J.,  "  Societas  Jesu,  usque  ad  sanguinis  et  vitae  profusionem 
militans"  (also  in  German). — G.  Patrigrani,  S.J.,  "  Menologia  di  pie 
Memorie  d'alcuni  Religiosi  de  la  C.  de  G." — Jos.  Cassani,  "Glorias 
del  Segundo  Siglo  de  la  Compania  de  Jesus." 


Introduction,  g 

events  simply  of  colonial  interest.*  The  other  is  still 
more  important.  It  is  a  quarto  manuscript,  entitled 
"Memoire  Touchant  la  Mort  et  les  Vertus  des  PP. 
Isaac  Jogues,  Anne  de  Noue,  Jean  de  Brebeuf,"  etc. 
The  first  150  pages  are  devoted  to  Father  Jogues.  To 
invest  this  monument  with  a  character  of  special  author- 
ity, and  render  it  available  for  use  in  case  of  necessity 
in  a  canonical  process,  each  account,  and  in  some  cases 
each  separate  document,  is  confirmed  by  the  signature 
of  the  Superior  of  the  Mission  and  his  attestation  under 
oath. 

The  geography  and  history  of  that  period  seemed  to 
us  to  require  some  details  to  enlighten  readers  who 
might  be  unfamiliar  with  the  country. 

Before  entering  on  our  narrative,  we  borrow  from  Mr. 
Parkman,  a  Protestant  writer,  the  sketch  which  he  gives 
of  the  Canadian  missionaries,  and  which  applies  so  well 
to  our  hero.  His  testimony  has  all  the  greater  value 
because,  amid  his  eulogistic  words,  he  omits  no  opportu- 
nity to  give  currency  to  false,  unjust,  and  even  calum- 
nious ideas  in  regard  to  the  Society,  and  he  cannot  avoid 
self-contradiction  in  spite  of  this  frank  declaration  : 
*'  No  religious  order  has  ever  united  in  itself  so  much  to 
be  admired  and  so  much  to  be  detested.  Unmixed 
praise  has  been  poured  on  its  Canadian  members.  It  is 
not  for  me  to  eulogize  them,  but  to  portray  them  as 
they  were"  ("Jesuits  in  North  America,"  p.  13). 

Thus  he  portrays  them:  "All  the  weapons  of  Satan's 
malice  were  prepared  against  the  bold  invader  who 
should  assail  him  in  this,  the  heart  of  his  ancient  do- 
main. Far  from  shrinking,  the  priest's  zeal  rose  to 
tenfold  ardor;  ...  he  stood  prompt  to  battle  with  all 
the  hosts  of  Hell.  A  life  sequestered  from  social  inter- 
course   and    remote  from    every  prize    which    ambition 


*  This  precious  manuscript,  now  at  the  University  Laval,  Quebec, 
was  printed  a  few  years  since  in  that  city. 


lo  IiitrodtLction. 

holds  worth  the  pursuit,  or  a  lonely  death,  under  forms, 
perhaps,  the  most  appalling — these  were  the  mission- 
aries' alternatives.  Their  maligners  may  taunt  them,  if 
they  will,  with  credulity,  superstition,  or  a  blind  enthu- 
siasm; but  slander  itself  cannot  accuse  them  of  hypoc- 
risy or  ambition"  (p.  43). 

"■  A  fervor  more  intense,  a  self-abnegation  more  com- 
plete, a  self-devotion  more  constant  and  enduring,  will 
scarcely  find  its  record  on  the  page  of  human  history" 

(p-  83). 

"  In  all  the  copious  records  of  this  dark  period,  not  a 
line  gives  occasion  to  suspect  that  one  of  this  loyal  band 
flinched  or  hesitated  "  (p.  125). 

This  Life  is  better  fitted  to  interest  the  pious  than  the 
learned.  Yet  it  may  serve  as  an  indirect  and  irrefra- 
gable reply  to  the  odious  and  calumnious  insinuations 
made  against  the  Jesuits  of  Canada  by  the  Jansenist 
Arnauld  and  his  imitators — insults  revived  in  our  day  by 
writers  without  religion  or  principle,  who  seem  to  pique 
themselves  when  insulting  religion  and  her  ministers 
on  outdoing  their  predecessors.* 

I  make  it  a  duty  to  mention  here  the  active  and 
kindly  part  taken  in  the  work  by  the  Viscount  de  Lastic 
Saint  Jal. 

In  conformity  with  the  decree  of  Urban  VIII.,  we  de- 
clare that  everything  related  in  this  life,  and  every  praise 
or  honorable  title  given  to  those  of  whom  it  treats,  have 
no  authority  but  human  testimony,  without  any  wish  to 
anticipate  in  any  manner  the  judgment  of  the  Church. 

*  As  an  example,  see  Michelet,  Revue  des  deux  Mondes,  15  Jan., 
1863,  on  the  "  epicurean"  life  of  the  Jesuits  in  Canada. 


LIFE  OF    FATHER  ISAAC  JOGUES, 

OF   THE  SOCIETY  OF  JESUS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

Birth  of  Isaac  Jogues— His  Education— First  Mass— The 
Canada  Mission. 

lATHER  JOGUES  was  the  first  apostle  of  the  Iro- 
quois, and  the  first  missionary  victim  to  their 
cruelty.  His  short  apostleship  of  six  years  has  no 
striking  features;  but  his  two  captivities  in  the  hands  of 
the  fiercest  Indians  of  Canada,  the  horrible  tortures  he  en- 
dured, and  his  tragical  death  present  a  magnificent  pic- 
ture of  the  sublime  virtues  of  Religion  and  the  Apostle- 
ship. Such  a  character  reveals  the  most  excellent  heav- 
enly gifts  in  a  soul,  and  proves  that  it  had  been  long 
prepared  for  the  combat. 

Isaac  Jogues  was  born  at  Orleans,  January  lo,  1607, 
of  a  worthy  family.  Deprived  of  his  father  at  an  early 
age,  he  found  in  his  mother,  Frances  de  Saint  Mesmin,  a 
woman  after  the  heart  of  God,  who  understood  the  holy 
mission  which  the  Almighty  had  confided  to  her  in 
the  education  of  her  children.  At  his  baptism  in  the 
Church  of  St.  Hilary  he  received  the  name  of  Isaac,  as 
though  God  had  thus  chosen  to  presage  the  sacrifice 
which  his  pious  mother  was  one  day  to  make,  and  that 


12  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

which  he  himself  was  to  offer  to  the  Lord.  His  happy 
disposition  responded  admirably  to  the  care  bestowed 
on  his  infancy,  and  every  day  saw  rare  dispositions  for 
virtue  develop  in  the  boy.  He  loved  to  listen  to  the  nar- 
rative of  the  passion  of  our  Lord  and  the  sufferings  of 
the  Saints.  They  excited  deep  emotion  in  his  heart,  and 
more  than  once  affected  him  to  tears.  While  still  young 
he  was  moved  by  occasional  impulses  of  .great  fervor. 
This  was  manifested  in  prayer,  and  in  his  eagerness  to 
profit  by  occasions  of  suffering  for  God's  sake.  Instead 
of  murmuring  at  those  who  reproved  or  punished  him 
for  any  fault,  he  would  express  his  gratitude  as  if  for  a 
great  service  done  him. 

In  1617,  at  the  moment  when  Isaac  Jogues  reached  the 
age  for  beginning  his  studies,  the  Fathers  of  the  Society 
of  Jesus  opened  a  college  at  Orleans.*  He  immediately 
entered,  and  ere  long  rapid  progress  gave  him  a  pre-emi- 
nence over  his  fellow-scholars  which  he  never  lost.  His 
success  was  acquired  by  constant  application,  guided  by 
a  solid  judgment,  a  happy  memory,  and  great  penetra- 
tion. 

Nothing  tends  more  to  develop  the  intellect  than  the 
best  disposition  of  the  heart.  Isaac's,  so  well  trained  by 
his  excellent  mother  from  early  childhood,  profited  in 
the  highest  degree  by  the  advantages  afforded  in  the 
course  of  life  followed  in  the  new  academy,  where  all 

*  Long  opposition  had  retarded  the  foundation  of  this  college. 
The  first  letters-patent  were  issued  by  Henry  IV.,  January  16,  1609, 
but  the  authority  of  Marshal  de  la  Chatre,  governor  of  the  city, 
could  not  overcome  these  obstacles.  The  matter  was  not  taken  up 
again  till  1617,  the  Queen  Regent  issuing  new  letters-patent  on  the 
19th  of  March;  on  the  12th  of  May  the  Governor  and  municipal  offi- 
cers installed  the  Jesuits  in  a  house  on  the  Rue  Sainte  Anne,  but  the 
college  was  not  opened  for  scholars  till  October  18,  in  another 
building  on  the  Rue  de  la  Vieille  Monnaie,  but  it  was  only  tempora- 
rily. An  eminent  benefactor,  Raoul  Gazille,  Prior  Commendatory 
of  Saint  Sanson,  introduced  them  on  the  9th  of  March,  1619,  into  his 
priory,  where  he  had  erected  the  necessary  buildings  for  a  college. 


His  EdiLcatio7i,  1 3 

were  animated  by  piety.  His  virtue,  like  his  learning, 
grew  with  his  years  ;  his  assiduity  and  fervor  in  prayer, 
pious  reading,  serious  conversati9n,  tender  devotion  to 
the  Blessed  Virgin,  frequent  participation  in  the  sacra- 
ments, all  developed  in  him  a  religious  feeling  and  habit. 
Isaac  became  a  perfect  model  of  a  virtuous  scholar,  and 
the  often  critical  tests  of  this  college  life  never  made  him 
swerve  from  the  line  which  he  had  traced  for  himself. 
Works  of  charity  and  zeal — an  ordinary  characteristic  of 
souls  predestined  for  the  service  of  God — already  claimed 
his  leisure  hours,  and  he  v^as  never  happier  than  when  he 
had  been  able  to  lead  others  to  virtue. 

At  an  early  age  Isaac  sought  light  from  heaven  as  to 
his  vocation:  it  was  the  frequent  subject  of  his  prayers, 
and  he  prepared  himself  in  advance  to  fulfil  the  divine 
will  as  soon  as  it  became  known  to  him.  The  light  of 
grace  did  not  fail  him;  he  soon  understood  that  he  was 
called  to  the  religious  and  apostolic  life.  His  eyes 
turned  toward  the  Society  of  Jesus,  which  seemed  to  em- 
body all  the  aspirations  of  his  heart  from  both  points  of 
view.  He  solicited  admission,  and  as  soon  as  he  received 
a  favorable  reply  he  longed  to  put  his  project  into  effect 
at  once,  although  he  had  only  just  finished  his  course  of 
rhetoric;  but  he  was  impelled  by  the  thought  that  one 
who  resolves  to  dedicate  his  life  to  God's  service  can 
never  do  it  too  soon. 

Filled,  however,  with  respectful  deference  for  his 
mother,  he  would  take  no  step  without  her  consent;  he 
imparted  his  design  to  her.  This  valiant  woman  knew 
her  duty  too  well  to  give  ear  only  to  the  voice  of  affec- 
tion, which  is  so  easily  blinded,  and  so  easily  influenced 
by  self-love.  Above  all,  she  weighed  the  interest  of  God 
and  the  happiness  of  her  son.  Having  convinced  her- 
self that  his  vocation  was  real,  she  left  him  absolutely 
free  to  follow  it,  and  like  Abraham,  did  not  falter  in  her 
sacrifice. 

Isaac  was  seventeen  years  old  when  he  entered  the  no- 


14  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

vitiate  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  at  Rouen,  on  the  24th  of 
October,  1624.  To  guide  his  steps  in  the  career  which 
he  had  embraced,  and  be  initiated  into  the  interior 
life,  which  forms  the  spiritual  man,  and  prepares  the 
apostle,  he  found  there  a  master  deeply  versed  in  the 
practice  and  knowledge  of  the  things  of  God.  Father 
Louis  Lalemant,*  a  religious  of  eminent  virtue,  was  en- 
dowed with  extraordinary  talent  for  imbuing  others  with 
the  spirit  of  self-denial  and  zeal  which  animated  him. 
Notwithstanding  his  earnest  solicitation,  he  had  not 
been  permitted  to  bear  the  gospel  to  savage  nations, 
and  atoned  for  the  loss  by  selecting  and  forming  good 
missionaries  to  accomplish  that  eminently  Catholic 
^vork — men  who  had  all  his  predilection  for  it. 

He  had  been  struck  by  young  Jogues'  aptitude  and 
disposition.  Nor  was  he  long  in  discerning  in  the  young 
man  a  soul  full  of  uprightness,  energy,  and  ardor,  a  heart 
capable  of  the  greatest  sacrifices,  and  a  virtue  to  stand 
every  test.  These  were  the  qualities  characteristic  of  a 
good  missionary.  Accordingly,  when  the  mission  of 
New  France  was  opened  to  the  Jesuits  in  1625  for  the 
second  time.  Father  Lalemant  loved  to  repeat  to  his 
disciple  these  prophetic  w^ords:  "  Brother,  you  will  not 
\  die  anywhere  but  in  Canada." 

"   The  young  religious  thought  indeed  of  devoting  him- 
A  self  to  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  in  remote  countries, 
/     but  his   aspirations   did   not   incline   him   towards    that 
I      American  province,  then  little  known:  he  longed  to  go 
to  the  burning  sands  of  Ethiopia,  where  the  success  of 
the  faith  called  for  many  laborers.     He  even  manifested 
this  pious  desire  to  his  superiors,  and   begged  them   to 
inscribe  his  name  in  advance  on  the  list  of  those  wlio 
were  to  have  the  happiness  of  being  summoned  to  ex- 
tend the  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ  in  that  region. 

*  Three  members  of  this  family  are  still  famous  in  the  history  of  the 
Canada  missions — Charles,  his  brother  Jerome,  and  their  nephew 
Gabriel,  who  was  put  to  death  by  the  Iroquois  in  1649. 


The  Canada  Missio7i.  15 

His  youth  allowed  time  for  his  projects  to  mature, 
and  gave  him  full  leisure  for  an  excellent  preparation. 
He  was  about  to  enter  on  the  career  of  study  and  teach- 
ing through  which  the  younger  members  of  the  Society 
of  Jesus  must  usually  pass  before  they  are  elevated  to  the 
priesthood.  After  his  novitiate  he  was  sent  to  La  Fleche 
to  study  a  three-years'  course  of  philosophy.  This  col- 
lege was  at  that  time  in  a  very  prosperous  condition, 
through  the  munificence  of  Henry  IV.  It  had  three 
hundred  boarders  and  nearly  two  thousand  day-scholars. 

The  young  Jesuit  scholastics  formed  a  little  body  by 
themselves,  and  were  engaged  only  in  their  studies. 
That  species  of  retreat  combining  religious  recollection 
with  the  pursuit  of  science  was  most  providential  for 
Brother  Jogues.  Several  of  his  fellow-students  were 
destined  to  share  at  a  future  day  his  stern  labors  in 
Canada.  They  were:  Rene  Menard,  Charles  Dumarche, 
James  Delaplace,  Claude  Quentin,  and  Nicholas  Adam. 
There  too  were  at  this  period  Brothers  Julian  Maunoir 
and  Vincent  Hubi,  already  eminent  for  virtue,  who  were 
in  later  days  to  shed  a  brilliant  lustre  by  their  labors  and 
their  sanctity. 

Brother  Jogues'  residence  at  La  Fleche  had  familiar- 
ized him  with  the  Canada  Mission, — the  only  one  of  his 
order  in  French  America, — and  this  doubtless  at  a  later 
day  caused  the  change  in  his  destination.  Father 
Masse,*  after  ten  years'  residence  at  La  Fleche,  had  left 
it  the  year  before,  to  return  to  New  France,  from  which 
he  had  been  expelled  by  the  English  in  161 1.  During 
his  stay  in  Europe  he  had  sighed  incessantly  for  that  re- 
mote mission,  which  he  styled  his  Rachel.  His  accounts 
of   Canada,  preserved   traditionally  in   the   house,   kept 

*  Father  Enemond  Masse  was  a  member  of  the  Acadian  Mission 
in  161 1,  and  of  that  of  Quebec  in  1625.  After  being  expelled  by  the 
English,  he  returned  to  Canada  in  1633,  and  died  in  1646.  A  pious 
monument  was  raised  to  his  memory,  in  1870,  over  his  grave  at  Sil- 
lery,  near  Quebec, 


1 6  Life  of  Father  Jogties. 

alive   an  emulation  for  the  conversion  of  souls  and  the 
propagation  of  the  gospel  in  heathen  lands. 

At  this  time  the  Society  of  Jesus  was  passing  through 
one  of  the  most  brilliant  phases  of  its  history.  Nothing 
was  lacking  for  its  prosperity  on  the  various  stages  where 
its  zeal  was  displayed — not  even  the  trial  of  the  most 
envenomed  and  bloodiest  persecution.  In  Catholic  coun- 
tries hatred  in  the  hearts  of  unbelievers  invented  the 
grossest  calumnies  against  it,  while  Protestantism  in 
England  and  Holland  and  idolatry  in  Japan  endeavored 
to  overwhelm  its  flourishing  missions  in  blood.  Then 
the  converts  and  tlieir  apostles  renewed  the  finest  ex- 
amples of  Christian  heroism,  which  has  been  set  in  the 
primitive  ages  of  the  Church,  and  the  glory  of  religion 
expanded  as  at  its  cradle,  just  as  hell  reawakened  in 
the  executioner,  the  same  instincts  of  rage  and  cruelty 
that  marked  the  persecutions  of  old.  These  desperate 
struggles  stimulated  courage,  and  the  most  perilous  mis- 
sions were  the  most  coveted. 

The  death  of  Father  Spinola,*  burnt  in  Japan  in  1622, 
whose  life  presents  so  many  touching  circumstances,  had 
singularly  impressed  Father  Jogues.  It  inspired  him 
from  that  moment  with  a  keen  desire  for  martyrdom, 
God  apparently  thus  preparing  him  for  the  tortures 
which  he  himself  was  one  day  to  undergo.    He  often  fixed 


*  A  touching  scene  occurred  at  the  death  of  Father  Spinola.  From 
his  funeral  pyre  he  perceived  the  mother  of  a  child  that  he  had  bap- 
tized four  years  before.  This  remembrance  touched  his  heart. 
"Where  is  my  little  Ignatius?"  he  exclaimed.  The  mother  then 
raised  towards  him  the  child,  who,  like  all  the  others,  was  arrayed 
in  its  finest  clothes  for  the  sacrifice.  "  Here  he  is,  Father,"  she  ex- 
claimed; "he  is  rejoiced  to  die  with  you  for  God's  sake."  Then  ad- 
dressing her  son,  she  continued  in  a  lively  sentiment  of  faith:  "See 
the  one  who  made  thee  a  child  of  God  !— ask  his  blessing  for  thyself 
and  thy  mother."  Ignatius  fell  on  his  knees,  his  hands  clasped,  and 
the  confessor  blessed  the  martyr-child.  A  cry  of  pity  rose  from  every 
mouth.  To  arrest  it,  the  executioners  hastened  to  complete  their 
work.     Father  Spinola  was  enrolled  among  the  Beatified  in  1867. 


The  Canada  Mission.  17 

his  eye  on  a  small  picture,  which  represented  the  gener- 
ous confessor  attached  to  the  stake,  amid  the  fagots,  his 
eyes  raised  to  heaven;  he  seemed  to  liear  him,  when 
at  the  very  moment  of  his  torture  he  intoned  in  a 
triumpiiant  voice  the  Psalm  Laiidate pueri Domimun^  which 
his  thirty  companions  continued  with  the  same  enthu- 
siasm till  their  voices  were  extinguished  forever. 

Brother  Isaac  henceforward  carried  that  picture  of  the 
servant  of  God  on  his  breast  and  prayed  to  the  holy 
religious  to  obtain  grace  to  imitate  him  in  his  labors,  and 
to  die  like  him  for  his  God;  but  he  had  not  yet  over- 
come all  the  obstacles,  and,  full  of  submission  to  the  di- 
vine will,  he  contented  himself  for  the  time  being  with 
a  more  modest  field  of  battle,  though  rich  in  merits  and 
fruitful  in  sacrifices.  In  1629  the  Superiors  sent  him  to 
the  College  of  Rouen  to  teach  the  sixth  class,  and  there 
continue  his  course  of  instruction  till  he  had  presided 
over  the  class  of  belles-lettres. 

Providence  seemed  to  guide  Brother  Isaac  to  this 
house  in  order  to  bring  him  into  intercourse  with  three 
of  tke  chief  Canada  missionaries,  whom  the  English  had 
just  expelled  after  a  most  iniquitous  aggression  on  that 
colony.  Father  Charles  Lalemant,''^  first  Superior  of 
Quebec,  Father  Brebeuf,f  and  Father  Masse,  already 
mentioned,  returned  to  France  in  1629  with  the  firm  hope 
and  ardent  desire  of  resuming  their  work  at  a  future 
day.  As  there  was  nothing  to  indicate  when  the  mo- 
ment would  come,  each  received  a  position  in  the  College 

*  Father  Charles  Lalemant  made  eight  voyages  across  the  Atlantic. 
He  was  the  first  Superior  at  Quebec.  Having  returned  to  France  for 
good  in  1838,  he  became  Rector  of  Clermont  College,  Superior  of  the 
professed  house  and  vice-provincial.  He  died  in  1674,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-seven,  The  esteem  he  enjoyed  led  to  his  selection  as  one  of 
those  proposed  for  the  Bishopric  to  be  erected  in  Canada. 

f  Father  Brebeuf  is  the  most  popular  missionary  in  Canada,  on  ac- 
count of  his  virtues,  his  hardships  and  labors,  and  especially  the  hero- 
ism of  his  last  sacrifice.  He  underwent  most  frightful  tortures  at  the 
hands  of  the  Iroquois  in  1649. 


1 8  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

of  Rouen.  They  waited  for  three  years;  then,  through 
the  efforts  of  Champlain  and  the  energetic  administra- 
tion of  Richelieu,  Canada  was  at  last  restored  to  France, 
the  generous  laborers  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord  were 
successively  restored  to  their  beloved  mission. 

Brother  Jogues  was  thus  enabled  to  acquaint  himself, 
not  only  with  the  obstacles  which  the  faith  encountered 
in  that  distant  country,  but  also  with  the  rigors  of  its 
arctic  climate,  and  the  manifold  hardships  of  that  young 
mission,  already  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  laborious 
undertaken  by  the  Society.  The  difficulties  and  suffer- 
ings, far  from  damping  his  courage,  only  excited  his 
ardor;  but  as  yet  he  could  dream  only  of  gratifying  it 
in  the  remote  future. 

To  show  himself  more  worthy  of  it,  Brother  Isaac  gave 
himself  up  wholly  to  his  duties  as  professor  and  to  the  de- 
velopment of  the  youth  confided  to  his  care.  While  stor- 
ing their  minds  with  human  learning,  he  sought  especially 
to  train  them  in  the  science  of  the  saints.  He  would  fain 
have  inspired  them  all  with  his  horror  of  sin  and  his  love 
for  virtue.  His  active  zeal  suggested  a  thousand  de- 
vices to  attain  this  end.  He  stimulated  especially  a  love 
of  prayer,  the  frequentation  of  the  Sacraments,  and  a 
tender  devotion  to  the  Blessed  Virgin.  His  piety  to- 
wards the  august  Queen  of  Heaven  induced  him  on  a 
solemn  occasion  to  select  her  as  the  theme  of  a  literary 
exercise  which  had  been  assigned  to  him.  At  the  end  of 
the  collegiate  year  it  was  usual  for  one  of  the  professors 
to  read  in  public  at  the  distribution  of  prizes  some 
composition,  the  choice  of  which  was  left  to  himself. 
Brother  Jogues,  then  professor  of  the  class  of  Humanity, 
was  selected  for  this  exercise,  and  he  delivered  a  short 
Latin  poem  based  on  a  fact  related  by  Evagrius.* 


*  It  was  an  ancient  custom  at  Constantinople,  when  some  particles 
were  left  of  the  Sacred  Body  of  our  Lord  at  the  Mass,  to  give  them  to 
the  little  school-children.  The  child  of  a  Jewish  glass-blower,  min- 
gling among  his  classmates,  received  it.     On  his  return  home  his  fa- 


His  Latin  Poem.  19 

This  piece,  devoted  entirely  to  the  glory  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  and  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  was  recited  by 
Brother  Jogues,  with  an  eloquence  born  of  faith  and  en- 
thusiasm. Unfortunately,  the  work  of  the  young  scholas- 
tic has  not  come  down  to  us;  we  only  know  that  it  won 
the  praise  of  the  numerous  audience.  He  was  then 
twenty-five  years  of  age. 

The  hour  for  his  theological  studies  had  come  at  last. 
He  was  sent  to  Clermont  College,*  Paris,  to  pursue  them. 
Yet  this  did  not  absorb  all  his  time;  he  at  the  same  time 
filled  the  position  of  prefect  over  the  students.  This  im- 
portant trust  was  at  that  time  confided  to  theological 
students  in  the  great  colleges  of  Paris,  Bourges,  and  La 
Fleche. 

Father  Buteux,  one  of  the  Canadian  missionaries  who 
knew  Father  Jogues  most  thoroughly,  and  who  has  left 


ther  asked  him  the  cause  of  his  delay.  He  told  where  he  had  been, 
and  that  he  had  eaten  with  the  other  children.  The  Jew,  enraged  at 
these  words,  threw  his  son  into  the  raging  furnace,  where  the  glass  was 
melted.  His  mother,  looking  for  her  little  child  and  not  finding  him, 
roamed  through  the  city,  uttering  piteous  cries  and  offering  fervent 
prayers  to  God.  Three  days  after,  while  standing  near  the  door  of 
her  husband's  glass-house,  she  called  her  son  by  name  aloud  in  a 
transport  of  her  grief.  The  child  recognizing  his  mother's  voice,  in- 
stantly replied  from  the  interior  of  the  furnace.  The  mother  tore  the 
door  open  and  saw  her  son  standing  in  the  midst  of  the  burning  coals, 
utterly  unharmed.  She  questioned  him  to  learn  how  he  could  be 
there  safe  and  sound.  "A  woman  robed  in  purple,"  he  replied, 
"came  to  see  me  and  gave  me  water  to  put  out  the  fire  around  me; 
and  she  brought  me  something  to  eat  whenever  I  was  hungry."  The 
fact  having  been  laid  before  the  Emperor  Justinian,  he  ordered  the 
mother  and  child  to  be  baptized,  in  accordance  with  the  desire  they 
expressed;  and  the  father,  who  obstinately  refused  to  become  a  Chris- 
tian, was  crucified  for  his  crime  at  the  entrance  of  the  Fig-tree  suburb 
(Cat.  III.,  part  i,  ch.  4). 

*  This  college  owes  its  name  to  William  Duprat,  Bishop  of  Cler- 
mont, who  founded  it  in  the  reign  of  Henry  H.  On  the  occasion  of  a 
solemn  visit  made  to  it  in  1682  by  Louis  XIV.,  it  received  the  name 
of  Louis-le- Grand. 


20  Life  of  Father  Jogttes. 

us  extended  details  of  his  life,  says  of  him,  when  treat- 
ing of  this  period  of  his  studies:  "  It  was  at  this  moment 
that  I  first  saw  him,  and  I  sought  to  know  him.  I  al- 
ways discerned  in  him  rare  prudence,  and  a  punctual 
observance  of  the  rule.  This  was  all  the  more  striking 
in  the  college  where  he  lived,  because  amid  such  sur- 
roundings it  is  apt  to  become  less  strict.  I  had  an 
equal  admiration  and  respect  for  his  humility.  He  dis- 
played it  especially  then,  by  his  earnest  entreaties  to  his 
Superiors  to  be  allowed  to  withdraw  from  the  study  of 
theology,  under  the  pretext  of  want  of  ability,  and  to  be 
sent  to  New  France." 

Isaac  announced  to  his  mother  his  change  of  resi- 
dence and  employment.  "  After  having  been  a  master," 
he  wrote  on  the  loth  of  October,  1633,  "here  I  am  a 
scholar  again.  This  position  is  all  the  more  agreeable 
to  me,  because  it  confines  me  to  the  study  of  a  holy  and 
sacred  science,  which  is  to  render  me  better  fitted  than 
ever  to  work  for  God's  glory,  by  disposing  me  to  be  pro- 
moted to  holy  orders  in  a  few  years.  This  is  the  grace 
to  which  I  aspire.  May  it  be  granted  to  me,  and  then 
give  greater  efficacy  to  the  prayers  which  I  offer  the  Al- 
mighty for  our  whole  household  !" 

When  they  saw  that  he  returned  to  Paris,  the  family 
felt  great  pleasure,  hoping  to  be  more  easily  favored 
with  his  presence.  The  marriage  of  his  brother  Philip 
even  seemed  a  favorable  pretext  for  obtaining  a  visit 
from  him  to  Orleans,  and  his  mother  resolved  to  show 
him  that  it  was  her  desire  ;  but  Isaac  modestly  excused 
himself,  alleging  his  studies  and  the  charge  over  the 
students  confided  to  him. 

It  would  seem  that  his  reasons  were  not  well  received, 
and  that  they  drew  upon  him  reproaches,  which  he  felt 
keenly.  He  obeyed  an  obligation  to  the  law  of  duty  in 
thus  renouncing  the  impulses  of  nature.  The  sacrifice 
which  he  had  made  to  God  required  him  to  forego  the 
lawful  family  celebrations,  and  he  replied  to  his  mother 


His  Ordi7iation.  2i 

with  a  firmness  tempered  by  sincere  love:  "I  never  even 
thought  of  laying  the  matter  before  my  Superiors.  The 
pressing  obligations  of  my  position  do  not  permit  me 
to  leave  the  house  a  single  day.  Moreover,  my  presence 
at  that  ceremony  was  not  necessary.  The  prayers  one 
can  offer  for  the  happy  result  of  such  alliance,  and  that 
as  well  at  a  distance,  as  on  the  spot,  are  all  the  affec- 
tionate marks  that  I  can  give  you  of  the  interest  I  take 
in  your  welfare.  I  beg  my  brothers  and  sisters  to  accept 
the  assurance  I  give  them,  that  my  prayers  are  often 
offered  for  their  welfare.  This  I  shall  do  even  more  effica- 
ciously, I  hope,  the  coming  year,  in  which  I  shall  be 
able  to  enjoy  the  happiness  of  being  promoted  to  the 
priesthood,  unworthy  as  I  am  of  such  a  favor." 

This  letter  is  dated  April  25,  1635,  and  early  in  the 
next  year  the  fervent  religious  was  ordained  priest.  At 
the  same  time  God  disposed  another  favor  in  his  be- 
half, which  he  always  regarded  as  crowning  it.  The 
Superiors  then  announced  to  him  that  his  aspirations 
for  the  missions  vv^ere  about  to  be  gratified;  he  was  se- 
lected for  that  of  Canada. 

An  unforeseen  circumstance  and  the  increasing  wants 
of  that  remote  field  had  caused  missionaries  to  be  sent 
earlier  than  was  originally  designed.  A  large  fleet  was 
then  equipping  for  Canada,  and  it  was  important  not  to 
lose  the  opportunity  it  afforded  of  greater  safety — always 
rare  in  those  days.  This  decision  gratified  the  great  de- 
sire of  Father  Jogues;  he  willingly  abandoned  his  theo- 
logical studies,  although  he  had  made  only  two  years 
of  the  course,  and  at  once  prepared  to  receive  holy 
orders. 

On  hearing  of  her  son's  ordination,  the  mother  of 
Isaac  felt  a  holy  emotion.  For  one  of  her  faith  such  an 
event  was  the  happiness  and  glory  of  her  life.  In  her 
legitimate  maternal  ambition  she  solicited  the  favor  of 
receiving  the  first  priestly  blessing  of  the  dearest  of  her 
children.     The  Superiors  willingly  consented,  as  it  was 


2  2  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

tlie  most  favorable  means  to  dispose  this  Christian  and 
sensitive  heart  for  the  painful  trial  of  a  speedy  separa- 
tion— much  more  painful  than  that  previously  accom- 
plished. 

On  the  ist  of  February,  1636,  Father  Jogues  announced 
to  his  mother  the  impatiently  desired  tidings  that  he 
would  soon  reach  Orleans,  and  he  begged  her  "to  solicit 
prayers  for  him  in  all  quarters,  that  God  might  give  him 
the  graces  necessary  to  discharge  so  holy  a  ministry." 

On  the  5th  of  the  month,  after  a  short  apparition  in 
his  family,  he  secluded  himself  in  the  college  to  devote 
his  time  to  the  exercises  of  a  retreat,  and  to  prepare 
speedily  to  ascend  the  altar.  The  loth,  the  first  Sunday 
of  Lent,  was  fixed  for  this  great  occasion.  In  presence 
of  all  his  kindred,  of  his  religious  brethren,  and  his  many 
friends,  the  newly  ordained  priest  offered  the  august 
Victim  for  the  first  time.  His  pious  mother,  affected  to 
tears,  had  the  happiness  of  receiving  holy  communion 
from  the  hands  of  her  son,  and  of  at  last  seeing  her 
heart's  fondest  wish  accomplished. 

Meanwhile  her  dear  Isaac,  as  she  delighted  to  call 
him,  was  to  ask  of  her  the  very  next  day  a  sacrifice  more 
painful  than  all  she  had  hitherto  made.  He  was  to 
break  to  her  the  announcement  of  his  speedy  departure 
for  his  mission,  and  to  bid  her  what  seemed  to  be  a  last 
farewell.  Though  most  delicately  conveyed,  the  unex- 
pected tidings  produced  on  her  maternal  heart  an  im- 
pression that  nothing  could  efface;  her  tears  flowed 
copiously;  but  amid  the  struggles  and  fears  of  nature 
she  heard  the  teachings  of  faith,  and  her  feelings  of 
Christian  resignation  finally  triumphed.  The  word  of 
the  young  apostle  was  already  mighty;  this  was  its  first 
victory. 

The  fleet  for  Canada  set  sail  early  in  April,  and  before 
embarking,  Father  Jogues  was  to  make  a  retreat  to  take 
the  place  of  the  third  year  of  novitiate,  which  it  would 
no   longer  be  possible   for  him  to   enjoy  after   he   was 


Departure  for  Canada.  23 

once  on  the  mission.  The  Society  of  Jesus  requires  that 
her  sons,  after  tlie  absorbing  labor  of  teaching  and  study, 
should  withdraw  to  spend  a  whole  year  in  solitude  and 
meditation,  in  order  to  revive  in  their  souls  the  fervor 
and  practice  of  solid  virtue. 

Having  fultilled  all  the  duties  of  filial  piety,  Father 
Jogues  proceeded  to  the  novitiate  at  Rouen,  there  to  pass 
the  brief  term  left  him,  but  he  derived  from  it  the  great- 
est possible  benefit.  There  are  hearts  endowed  with 
such  happy  dispositions,  that  the}''  possess  the  secret 
of  turning  everything  to  advantage.  Their  progress  in 
the  way  of  virtue  is  so  rapid  that  it  cannot  be  measured 
by  the  lengtli  of  their  course. 

Soon  after  the  first  of  April,  Father  Jogues  was  to 
proceed  to  Dieppe,  where  the  fleet  was  preparing  to 
weigli  anchor.  Before  leaving  Rouen  he  wrote  a  few 
words  to  comfort  his  mother.  This  letter  is  lost,  but 
this  good  son  would  not  embark  without  again  address- 
ing her,  to  give  that  afiflicted  heart  a  new  token  of  his 
filial  piety,  and  some  of  those  words  of  faith  which  re- 
vive the  courage.  He  addressed  to  her  the  following 
letter,  the  autograph  of  which  is  preserved  with  reli- 
gious respect  in  the  family  of  the  servant  of  God,  and 
which  we  copy  literally  : 

*'  Most  Honored  Mother  :  It  would  be  in  violation 
of  the  first  point  of  duty  of  a  good  son  towards  a  good 
mother  if,  when  ready  to  embark  at  sea,  I  did  not  bid 
you  a  last  farewell.  I  wrote  to  you  last  month  from 
Rouen,  by  Mr.  Tanzeau,  who  took  charge  of  mv  letters, 
that  I  sailed  from  Dieppe,  from  which  we  expected  to 
clear  about  Holy  Week;  but  contrary  winds,  and  the 
weather,  which  has  been  unfavorable,  have  detained  us 
until  now,  without  permitting  us  to  sail.  I  hope  that 
God  will  give  us  a  good  and  happy  voyage,  both  be- 
cause a  number  of  vessels  are  going  together,  and  be- 
cause   especially    a    great    many  persons   most   pleasing 


24  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

to  God  are  praying  for  us.  Endeavor  also,  if  you  please, 
to  contribute  something  by  your  prayers  to  the  safety 
of  our  voyage,  and  chiefly  by  a  generous  resignation  of 
your  will  to  that  of  God,  conforming  your  desires 
to  those  of  the  divine  goodness,  which  can  be  only 
most  holy  and  honorable  to  us,  since  they  spring  from 
the  heart  of  a  Father  full  of  love  for  our  welfare. 

"  I  hope,  as  I  said  on  another  occasion,  that  if  you  take 
this  little  affliction  in  a  proper  spirit,  it  will  be  most 
pleasing  to  God,  for  whose  sake  it  would  become  you  to 
give  not  one  son  only,  but  all  the  others,  nay,  life  itself, 
if  it  were  necessary.  Men  for  a  little  gain  cross  the  seas, 
enduring,  at  least,  as  much  as  we;  and  shall  we  not,  for 
God's  love,  do  what  men  do  for  earthly  interests  ? 

"  Good-by,  dear  mother.  I  thank  you  for  all  the  affec- 
tion which  you  have  ever  shown  me,  and  above  all  at  our 
last  meeting.  May  God  unite  us  in  His  Holy  Paradise, 
if  we  do  not  see  each  other  again  on  earth! 

"Present  my  most  humble  recommendations  to  my 
brothers  and  sisters,  to  whose  prayers,  as  to  yours,  I 
commend  m5^self  in  heart  and  love. 

"Your  most  humble  son  and  obedient  servant  in  our 
Lord,  Isaac  Jogues. 

"  Dieppe,  Apnl  6,  1636. 

"  P.  S.  We  sail  to-morrow,  please  God — that  is  to  say, 
the  second  Sunday  after  Easter,  or  Monday  morning  at 
latest.  Our  vessels  are  already  out  in  the  harbor.  My 
afl"ectionate  excuses  if  I  do  not  write  to  Mr.  Houdelin." 

This  language,  full  of  love,  resignation,  energy,  de- 
notes a  heart  prepared  for  combat,  and  already  trained 
to  sacrifices  of  every  kind.  His  virtue  will  throw  still 
greater  lustre  over  the  arena  where  God  has  in  store 
for  him  trials  worthy  of  his  courage. 


Canada,  25 


CHAPTER    II. 

Canada— The   Huron   Mission— The  Missionaries   Fall  Sick — 

Their  Recovery. 

^HE  colony  of  Canada  then  dated  back  but  a  few 
years,  and  might  be  considered  as  yet  in  the  cradle; 
and  yet  the  country  had  been  discovered  more 
than  a  century  before. 

Francis  I.,  jealous  of  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  con- 
quests in  America,  longed  to  see  the  French  standard 
floating  over  some  portion  of  the  New  World.  The 
Florentine  Verrazani,  to  whom  he  entrusted  the  mission, 
accomplished  it  at  the  cost  of  his  life,  with  no  other 
reward  than  of  having  reached  and  bestowed  on  the 
unknown  country  the  name  of  New  France. 

Ten  years  after,  Francis  I.  renewed  the  attempt,  and 
the  illustrious  Jacques  Cartier  of  St.  Malo  planted  the 
cross  on  the  same  soil,  and  took  possession  of  it  in 
the  name  of  his  King.  He,  moreover,  pushed  his  dis- 
covery up  the  river  St.  Lawrence,  thus  named  by  him, 
and  opened  intercourse  with  the  natives.  In  spite  of 
four  successive  voyages,  and  some  attempts  at  coloniz- 
ing, he  did  not  succeed  in  forming  any  durable  settle- 
ment. The  severity  of  the  winters  was  not  the  least  of 
the  obstacles  he  had  to  encounter.  The  death  of  that 
intrepid  navigator,  and  the  misfortunes  which  over- 
whelmed France  arrested  for  a  time  all  further  opera- 
tions. 

More  fortunate,  or  rather  better  served  by  circumstan- 
ces and  by  men,  Henry  IV.  was  at  last  enabled  to  carry 
into  effect  some  of  his  predecessor's  designs.  In  1604 
he  began  a  settlement  in  Acadia,  and  four  years  later  he 


26  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

dispatched  Cliamplain  to  lay  the  foundation  of  Quebec. 

An  iniquitous  invasion  by  the  English  destroyed  all 
these  undertakings  in  1628.  They  seized  the  rising 
colony  and  sent  the  missionaries  back  to  Europe. 

Canada  was  restored  to  France  in  1632,  and  Cham- 
plain,  who  is  justly  regarded  as  the  father  of  that  colony, 
was  commissioned  to  raise  it  up  again  from  its  ruins. 
With  heroism  in  war,  devotion  to  his  religion  and  his 
country,  Cliamplain  combined  perseverance  that  nothing 
could  discourage,  a  magnanimity  that  nothing  could 
depress. 

Feeling  deeply  the  spiritual  wants  of  that  land,  he  had 
sent  some  Recollect  missionaries  to  it  in  1615;  and  ten 
years  later  those  religious  called  upon  the  Jesuits  to 
share  their  labors. 

The  Mission  of  Canada  was  to  receive  a  powerful 
reinforcement  in  1636.  Five  Jesuit  Fathers  and  one 
lay-brother  sailed  with  the  new  Governor,  Montmagny, 
appointed  to  succeed  Cliamplain,  who  had  died  the  pre- 
vious year.  These  missionaries  were  Peter  Chastelain, 
Charles  Garnier,*  Nicholas  Adam,  Paul  Ragueneau,f 
Isaac  Jogues,  and  Brother  Cauvet.  The  fleet,  composed 
of  eight  vessels,  under  command  of  Duplessis-Bochard, 
weighed  anchor  on  the  8th  of  April,  and  after  a  favorable 
voyage  of  two  months  entered  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence. 
The  vessel  on  which  Father  Jogues  was,  anchored  for  a 
short  time  at  the  island  of  St.  Louis  de  Miscou,  in  the 
entrance  of  Chaleur  Bay,  where  the  mission  of  St. 
Charles  had  been  established  for  two  years,  and  not  till 
the  2d  of  July  did  he  arrive  at  Quebec. 

*  Father  Charles  Garnier  was  born  in  Paris.  He  was  a  priest  of 
many  and  rare  virtues.  He  spent  only  thirteen  years  in  Canada,  and 
always  among  the  Hurons.  He  was  killed  by  the  Iroquois  while 
hastening  to  minister  to  his  neophytes,  whom  the  savages  were 
slaughtering.     He  had  just  attained  his  forty-fourth  year. 

f  Father  Paul  Ragueneau  lived  in  Canada  twenty-six  years,  Supe- 
rior of  the  Missions  there  for  twenty  years.  He  died  in  Paris,  A.D., 
1680,  at  the  age  of  threescore  and  three. 


Letter  to  Ills  A/other.  27 

It  was  not  then  a  very  important  post;  yet  a  few 
houses  began  to  cluster  together  on  the  crest  of  the  pro- 
montory, protected  by  the  guns  of  the  fort  thrown  up  by 
Champlain.  Near  by  stood  the  modest  residence  of  the 
missionaries,  and  the  chapel  of  Notre  Dame  de  Recouv- 
rance,  the  first  sanctuary  of  the  Upper  Town  and  a  pious 
monument  of  the  devotion  of  the  first  colonists  towards 
the  Mother  of  God.  The  principal  residence  of  the 
Fathers  was  at  Our  Lady  of  the  Angels,*  more  than  a 
mile  away. 

Father  Jogues  gave  his  mother  an  account  of  his  voy- 
age, at  the  moment  when  he  was  to  take  a  canoe  to 
proceed  to  the  Huron  country: 

"Dear  Mother:  At  last  it  has  pleased  our  Lord  to 
allow  me  to  alight  on  the  shores  of  New  France,  the  goal 
of  my  long  aspirations.  We  sailed  from  Dieppe,  April 
8th,  eight  vessels  together,  and  we  arrived  here  eight 
weeks  after  our  departure.  I  landed  at  an  island  called 
Miscou,  where  two  of  our  Fathers  serve  the  French,  who 
have  begun  a  settlement  there,  and  attempt  the  conver- 
sion of  the  Indians  found  there.  After  spending  a  fort- 
night, I  embarked  in  another  vessel  that  conveyed  me  to 
Tadoussac,  where  large  vessels  lie  to,  while  barks  and 
lighter  vessels  run  up  the  St.  Lawrence  as  far  as  Que- 
bec, a  French  settlement  which  is  growing  every  day.  I 
landed  on  the  2d  of  July,  the  feast  of  the  Visitation  of 
Our  Lady. 

*Our  Lady  of  the  Angels,  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Lairet,  near 
Quebec,  recalls  more  ancient  memories  than  the  residence  of  the 
Jesuit  Fathers.  There  Jacques  Cartier,  the  great  explorer  of  Canada, 
reared  a  little  fort  in  1534  to  winter  with  his  hardy  sailors.  Before 
leaving  its  banks,  where  his  company  was  decimated  by  scurvy,  and 
where  he  was  forced  to  abandon  one  of  his  ships,  he  planted  a  huge 
cross  with  the  arms  of  France  and  the  inscription,  ''Franciscus piimus, 
Dei  gratia  rex,  regnat^  To  it  he  made  a  pilgrimage  in  the  snow, 
pronouncing  a  vow  to  Our  Lady  of  Roc-amadour. 


28  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

"My  health  has  been  so  good,  thank  God,  at  sea  and 
on  land  that  it  has  been  a  matter  of  wonder  to  all,  it  be- 
ing very  unusual  for  any  one  to  make  such  a  long  voyage 
without  suffering  a  little  from  sea-sickness  or  nausea. 
The  vestments  and  chapel  service  have  been  a  great  com- 
fort to  me,  as  I  have  offered  the  holy  sacrifice  of  Mass 
every  day  the  weather  was  favorable — a  happiness  I  should 
have  been  deprived  of,  had  not  our  family  provided  me 
with  them.  It  was  a  great  consolation  to  me,  and  one 
which  our  Fathers  did  not  enjoy  the  preceding  years. 
Officers  and  crew  have  profited  by  it  ;  as  but  for  that  the 
eighty  persons  on  board  could  not  have  been  present  at 
the  Holy  Sacrifice  for  two  months,  whilst,  owing  to  the 
faculties  I  enjoyed,  they  all  confessed  and  received  com- 
munion at  Whitsunday,  Ascension,  and  Corpus  Christi. 
God  will  reward  you  and  Madam  Houdelin  for  the  good 
you  have  enabled  me  to  do. 

"You  shall  have  letters  of  mine  every  year,  and  I  shall 
expect  yours.  It  will  ever  be  a  consolation  for  me  to 
hear  from  you  and  from  our  family,  as  I  have  no  hope  of 
seeing  you  in  our  lifetime.  May  God  in  His  goodness 
unite  us  both  in  his  Holy  abode  to  praise  Him  for  all 
eternity  !  For  this  we  must  work  in  all  earnestness  as  long 
as  we  live.  Let  us  so  husband  the  time  granted  unto  us 
that  we  may  do  in  life  what  we  will  wish  to  have  done 
at  our  death.  And  oh  !  what  a  comfort  on  that  day 
for  a  soul  that  departs  in  the  satisfaction  afforded  by 
conscience,  that  we  have  served  God  with  as  little 
imperfection  as  we  could,  and  that  we  have  endeavored 
in  all  things  and  all  places  to  do  what  was  most  agree- 
able to  His  Divine  Majesty.  I  believe  that  such  were  the 
thoughts  and  the  motives  which  have  urged  us  to  beg 
with  so  much  importunity  to  be  sent  to  these  countries, 
where,  there  being  so  much  to  suffer,  we  can  also  give 
such  sincere  proof  of  our  love  for  God. 

"Were  I  able  to  give  you  good  advice,  or  were  you  to 
need   it,  I  would   advise  you   to  place  j^ourself    in    the 


The  llui'on  Mission.  29 

hands  of  some  holy  director,  to  whom  you  should  intrust 
the  guidance  of  your  soul,  and  who  would  engage  you 
in  a  more  assiduous  practice  of  the  Sacraments.  Devo- 
tion, wliich  gives  you  pleasure,  should  more  than  ever 
engross  your  utmost  attention.  Your  advanced  age  and 
the  rest  you  now  enjoy  will  render  you  the  more  adapted 
for  it. 

"  I  write  this  to  you  at  a  distance  of  more  than  a  thou- 
sand leagues,  and  perhaps  I  shall  be  sent  this  year  to  a 
nation  called  the  Hurons,  who  live  at  a  distance  of  more 
tlian  three  hundred  leagues.  They  give  tokens  of  great 
dispositions  for  embracing  the  Faith.  It  matters  not 
where  we  are,  provided  we  rest  in  the  arms  of  Providence 
and  in  His  holy  favor.  This  is  the  prayer  offered  every 
day  at  the  altar  for  you  and  our  family  by  him,  who  is,  etc. 

"  Three  Rivers,*  August  20,  1636. 

"  P.  S.  I  have  just  received  orders  to  get  ready  to  start 
for  the  mission  among  the  Hurons  in  two  or  three  days." 

On  the  occasion  of  the  first  Mass  he  offered  in  Canada 
he  thus  feelingly  wrote  to  his  mother  :  "  I  do  not  know 
what  it  is  to  enter  Paradise  ;  but  this  I  know,  that  it  is 
difficult  to  experience  in  this  world  a  joy  more  excessive 
and  more  overflowing  than  that  I  felt  on  my  setting 
foot  in  New  France,  and  celebrating  my  first  Mass  here 
on  the  day  of  the  Visitation.  I  assure  you  it  was  indeed 
a  day  of  the  visitation  of  the  goodness  of  God  and  Our 
Lady.  I  felt  as  if  it  were  a  Christmas  day  for  me,  and 
that  I  was  to  be  born  again  to  a  new  life,  and  a  life  in 
God." 

How  these  letters  are  dictated  by  the  best  of  sons — one 
who  never  lost  sight  of  his  duties  toward  a  loving  mother, 
and  blendincr  in  admirable  union  his  love  for   his  family 

*  Three  Rivers,  on  the  St.  Lawrence  between  J.  Montreal  and  Quebec, 
derives  its  name  from  the  river  which  near  it  discharges  its  waters 
into  the  St.  Lawrence  by  three  mouihs.  It  was  founded  by  Cham- 
plain  in  1634. 


30  Life  of  Father  Jogitcs. 

and  his  love  of  God  ! — sentiments  equalled  only  by  an 
apostle's  zeal  for  the  salvation  of  souls. 

When  Father  Jogues  arrived  in  Canada  there  were  on 
the  Mission  eighteen  priests  and  six  lay-brothers.  They 
lived  in  six  stations,  scattered  over  a  line  of  more  than 
one  thousand  miles,  from  Cape  Breton  to  the  shores  of 
Lake  Huron.  There  were  two  at  Cape  Breton,  two  at 
Miscou,  two  at  Quebec,  five  at  Our  Lady  of  Angels,  two 
at  Three  Rivers,  and  five  among  the  Hurons. 

The  new  accessions  from  France  were  especially  in- 
tended for  the  Huron  Mission.  It  was  on  it  that  the 
French  relied  most  for  their  success  in  opening  the  im- 
mense countries  of  the  West  to  religion  and  commerce. 
Thus  a  twofold  interest  was  felt  in  drawing  that  nation 
closer  to  friendship  and  civilization  through  the  propaga- 
tion of  the  Gospel.  It  occupied  a  small  territory  on  the 
eastern  shore  of  the  lake  called  after  them,  and  which 
Champlain  had  at  first  named  Mer  douce  (Fresh  Sea). 
The  position  of  the  tribe  was  very  favorable  to  their 
mode  of  life,  devoted  to  trade,  hunting,  fishing,  and  to 
agriculture  to  some  extent.  Divided  into  twenty  villages, 
the  Hurons  formed  in  1635  a  population  of  from  thirty 
to  thirty-five  thousand  souls.  The  Faith  had  struck 
some  roots  already  ;  but  its  growth  was  slow,  and  it  was 
attained  only  by  the  hardest  labor,  dangers,  and  priva- 
tions of  every  kind. 

The  departure  of  Father  Jogues  for  the  country  of 
the  Hurons  was  hastened  by  a  fortuitous  circumstance. 
While  he  tarried  at  Three  Rivers,  awaiting  an  opportunity 
to  start,  there  arrived  a  convoy  of  young  natives,  whom 
Father  de  Brebeuf  had  succeeded  in  banding  together, 
and  whom  he  sent  to  Quebec  to  receive  instruction  there 
so  as  to  become  subsequently  the  main-stay  and  propa- 
gators  of  the  faith  in  their  country.     Fathers  Daniel'* 

*  Father  Anthony  Daniel,  a  native  of  Dieppe,  went  to  Canada  in 
1632,  and  spent  fifteen  years  on  the  Huron  Mission,  where  he  died 
gloriously  at  the  hands  of  the  Iroquois,   in  1648. 


The  Huron  Alission.  31 

and  Davost  accompanied  these  youths.  Father  Jogues 
had  the  happiness  to  witness  their  landing,  and  to  ex- 
perience some  of  the  details  of  that  apostolic  life  he  was 
so  anxious  to  share. 

Father  Daniel's  canoe  led  the  rest.  "At  the  sieht," 
writes  Father  Le  Jeune,  "  our  heart  was  deeply  moved. 
The  good  Father's  countenance  was  beaming  with  joy 
and  cheerfulness,  but  it  was  gaunt.  He  was  barefooted, 
with  a  paddle  in  his  hand,  his  cassock  in  shreds,  the 
breviary  hanging  from  his  neck,  and  a  worn-out  shirt  on 
his  back."  But  charity  has  a  balm  for  all  sufferings  :  a 
most  affectionate  reception  awaited  the  missionary  and 
his  neophytes,  and  of  course  there  was  a  feast  in  readi- 
ness for  the  Indians  who  had  escorted  them.  Almost  all 
belonged  to  the  village  of  Ossossane,  the  most  attached 
to  the  French,  who  had  surnamed  it  La  Rochelle,  its  loca- 
tion bearing  some  resemblance  to  the  city  of  that  name 
in  France. 

After  a  few  days'  rest  the  Indians  were  ready  to  return. 
Then  a  scene  occurred  which  Father  Jogues  considered 
as  providential,  and  which  decided  his  departure.  In 
the  midst  of  a  farewell  feast  some  of  the  Indians  made 
the  Jesuits  a  touching  reproach,  which  showed  their  at- 
tachment and  esteem.  They  had  not  been  asked  to  take 
back  with  them  any  of  the  missionaries,  perhaps  from  the 
fact  that  Fathers  Garnier  and  Chastelain  had  left  for  the 
Huron  country  scarcely  one  month  before.  "  What !  do 
the  French  love  us  less,  and  none  of  them  will  come  with 
us  now  ?"  said  one  of  the  chiefs.  "Will  they  not  replace 
those  v^^hom  we  have  brought  back,  and  shall  we  return 
without  a  black-gown  ?" 

Father  Le  Jeune,   Superior  of   the  Canada  Mission,* 

*  Father  Paul  Le  Jeune  abjured  Protestantism  in  his  youth,  and 
became  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Canada  Mission.  He  was  Superior 
for  nearly  fifteen  years,  and  wrote  most  of  its  history.  Having  re- 
turned to  France  in  1649  to  become  procurator  of  the  Mission,  he 
died  there  in   1664,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two.     His  merit  led  to  his 


32  Life  of  Father  JogMcs. 

could  not  withstand  the  appeal,  and  to  his  extreme  de- 
light Father  Jogues  was  appointed  to  accompany  the 
Hurons  in  their  homeward  journey.  On  the  morrow  he 
started,  taking  his  seat  in  a  frail  birch-canoe.  It  is  not 
without  misgivings  that  a  white  man  steps  for  the  first 
time  aboard  one  of  those  light  craft,  to  brave  the 
rapid  currents  and  the  vast  lakes  of  Canada.  The  slight 
framework  is  formed  of  slender  poles,  fastened  at  the 
extremities  between  two  stringpieces  somewhat  stronger, 
which  serve  for  rim.  These  are  covered  with  bark  of 
the  birch,  of  the  thickness  of  a  silver  dollar.  Threads  of 
the  root  of  the  cedar,  an  incorruptible  tree,  fasten  to- 
gether the  pieces  of  bark.  Seams  and  holes  are  calked 
with  rosin.  These  canoes  vary  in  size.  The  smallest 
will  carry  only  three  men.  The  largest  will  bear  as 
man}^  as  twenty-four,  with  more  than  3000  pounds  of 
freight.  They  are  propelled  by  paddles,  and  from  their 
lightness  are  capable  of  great  speed.  Once  in  their 
place  the  travellers  were  not  allowed  to  shift  their  posi- 
tion, as  any  movement  tends  to  capsize  the  little  craft. 
Father  Jogues  well  knew  the  difficulties  of  such  naviga- 
tion from  Father  de  Brebeuf's  experience  transmitted  to 
his  brethren:  "  However  smooth  the  passage  may  appear, 
there  is  enough  to  appall  a  heart  not  thoroughly  morti- 
fied. The  skill  of  the  Indians  does  not  shorten  the 
journey,  smooth  the  rocks,  or  avert  the  dangers.  No 
matter  with  whom  you  may  be,  you  must  make  up 
your  mind  to  be  at  least  three  or  four  weeks  on  the 
way,  with  no  companions  but  men  whom  you  have  never 
seen  before,  in  a  bark-canoe,  in  a  most  inconvenient 
position,  forbidden  to  move  right  or  left,  to  be  fifty 
times  a  day  in  danger  of  capsizing  or  dashing  against  the 
rocks.  You  are  scorched  by  the  sun  in  the  da3'-time,  and 
the  mosquitoes  devour  5rou  by  night.     Sometimes  you 

nomination,  with  those  of  Fathers  Charles  Lalemantand  Paul  Rague- 
neau,  for  the  episcopal  see  of  Quebec  (Archives  of  the  Gesu,  Rome). 


His  Voyage.  3^ 

have  to  ascend  five  or  six  falls  in  one  day,  and  at  nii^iit 
all  your  refreshment  is  a  little  corn  simply  boiled  in 
water,  and  your  bed  the  ground  or  a  rough  and  bristling 
rock;  generally  the  sky  is  your  canopy,  with  an  un- 
broken stillness  for  your  lullaby."  * 

Father  Jogues  himself  gives  his  mother  an  account  of 
part  of  this  painful  voyage  in  a  letter  dated  June  i,  1637. 
It  will  enable  us  to  appreciate  this  heart  full  of  grati- 
tude to  God  and  zeal  for  His  glory. 

"  Dear  Mother  :  As  only  one  opportunity  is  afforded 
every  year  of  writing  to  you,  I  cannot  let  it  pass  without 
acquitting  myself  of  my  duty  towards  so  good  a  mother. 
I  feel  sure  that  you  will  be  happy  to  acknowledge  the 
special  providence  with  which  Divine  Goodness  has  led 
me,  since  He  has  accorded  me  the  grace  of  landing  in 
this  Huron  country,  I  wrote  to  you  last  year  in  the 
month  of  August,  when  on  the  point  of  starting  on  my 
journey.  I  left  Three  Rivers  the  24th  of  August — St. 
Bartholomew's  Day.  I  was  put  in  a  birch-canoe  that 
could  carry  five  or  six  persons  at  the  utmost.  It  would 
not  be  easy  to  give  you  in  detail  all  the  discomforts  of 
this  mode  of  travel;  but  the  love  of  God,  who  calls  us  to 
these  missions,  and  our  desire  to  do  something  towards 
the  conversion  of  these  poor  barbarians,  render  it  all 
so  sweet,  that  we  would  not  exchange  our  hardships  for 
all  the  pleasures  of  earth.  The  traveller's  food  is  a  little 
Indian  corn,  crushed  between  two  stones,  and  boiled  in 
water  innocent  of  all  seasoning.  We  lay  ourselves  to 
sleep  on  the  ground,  or  on  the  sharp  rocks  bordering  this 
great  river,  by  the  light  of  the  moon.  You  must  sit  in 
the  canoe  in  a  very  uncomfortable  position.  You  can- 
not stretch  out  your  legs,  for  the  place  is  narrow  and 
crowded.  You  dare  not  move  lest  you  capsize.  I  was 
forced  to  observe  a  strict  silence,  for  I  could  not  under 
stand  our  Indians  nor  could  they  understand  me. 

*  Relation,  1637, 


34  ^^f^  of  Father  Jogues. 

''Another  surplus  of  pain  and  labor.  We  meet  in  this 
journey  some  sixty  to  eighty  water-falls,  which  descend 
so  furiously  and  so  far  that  canoes  going  too  near  are 
carried  over  and  perish.  As  we  were  paddling  against 
the  stream  we  were  not  exposed  to  this  danger  ;  but 
then  we  had  often  to  land  and  march  over  rocks  and 
through  tangled  woods  about  one  league  to  make  a 
detour,  carrying  on  our  backs  all  the  luggage  and  even 
the  canoes.^'  For  my  own  part  I  carried  not  only  my 
own  little  baggage,  but  I  also  aided  and  relieved  our 
Indians  as  much  as  I  could;  and  in  the  journeys  caused 
by  the  falls  I  have  mentioned  I  was  compelled  to  carry 
on  my  shoulders  a  child  ten  or  eleven  years  old,  who 
belonged  to  our  caravan,  and  who  had  fallen  sick." 

But  let  us  interrupt  the  letter  to  add  some  details, 
which  Father  Jogues'  modesty  led  him  to  treat  too 
briefl3^  That  child  had  been  placed  under  his  charge 
from  the  start.  Sick  after  the  seventh  day,  he  became 
a  source  of  indescribable  hardship  to  the  missionary;  but 
charity  does  not  stop  at  any  sacrifice.  The  young  Indian 
grew  so  feeble  that  he  could  not  walk,  nor  even  get  out 
of  the  canoe.  After  consenting  two  or  three  times  to 
help  Father  Jogues,  his  uncouth  guides  refused  to  aid 
the  priest  any  more.  Thus  the  care  of  the  sick  boy  fell 
wholly  upon  him,  and  he  had  to  carry  him  on  his  back 
whenever  they  landed;  from  his  inexperience,  and  the 
asperities  of  the  ground,  this  became  a  labor  of  great 
peril  to  both.  More  than  once  he  endeavored  to  make 
the  guides  understand  his  fears,  but  to  no  avail;  until, 
from  dread  lest  some  mishap  should  compromise  them, 
they  agreed  to  carry  the  invalid  on  condition  that  the 
missionary  took  charge  of  part  of  their  baggage,  consist- 
ing of  kettles,  iron  axes,  and  other  heavy  objects.  The 
pleasure  of  seeing  his  young  charge  protected  from 
danger  gave  the  missionary  renewed  strength,  and  he  did 

*  This  is  called  making  a  portage. 


His  Arrival.  35 

not  spare  himself.  As  for  the  sick  boy,  he  grew  better 
as  they  approached  the  Nipissings,  and  good  nourish- 
ment enabled  him  to  end  his  journey  in  good  health. 

"  But  by  great  exertion,"  continues  Father  Jogues, 
'instead  of  the  twenty-five  or  thirty  days  ordinarily  re- 
quired for  this  voyage,  it  took  me  but  nineteen  days  to 
reach  the  spot  where  five  of  our  Fathers  resided,  some 
of  whom  have  been  in  this  country  five  or  six  years. 
The  two  last-comers.  Fathers  Charles  Gamier  and  Peter 
Chastelain,  had  arrived  only  one  month  before  me. 

''Thus  has  Providence  vouchsafed  to  keep  me  full  of 
strength  and  health  to  this  day.  He  grants  me  grace  to 
be  far  more  contented  amid  tlie  privations  inseparable 
from  our  position  than  if  I  were  enjoying  all  the  comforts 
of  the  world.  God  makes  Himself  felt  with  far  greater 
sweetness.  He  guards  us  amongst  the  savages  with  so 
much  love,  He  gives  such  abundant  consolations  in  the 
little  trials  we  have  to  endure,  that  we  do  not  even  think 
of  regretting  what  we  have  renounced  for  His  sake. 
Nothing  can  equal  the  satisfaction  enjoyed  in  our 
hearts  while  we  impart  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God 
to  these  heathen.  About  two  hundred  and  forty  have 
received  baptism  this  year:  among  them  I  have  baptized 
some  who  surely  are  now  in  heaven,  as  they  were  chil- 
dren one  or  two  3^ears  old. 

"  Can  we  think  the  life  of  man  better  employed  than  in 
this  o-ood  work?  What  do  I  sav  ?  Would  not  all  the 
labors  of  a  thousand  men  be  well  rewarded  in  the  con- 
version of  a  single  soul  gained  to  Jesus  Christ  ?  I  have 
always  felt  a  great  love  for  this  kind  of  life,  and  for  a  pro- 
fession so  excellent,  and  so  akin  to  that  of  the  Apostles. 
Had  I  to  work  for  this  happiness  alone,  I  would  exert 
myself  to  my  utmost  to  obtain  a  favor,  for  which  I 
would  fain  give  a  thousand  lives. 

"  Should  you  receive  these  lines,  I  entreat  you,  by  the 
bonds  of  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  give  tlianks  to  the 
Lord  for  this  extraordinary  favor  He  has  bestowed  upon 


J 


6  Life  of  Father  Jogites. 


i-ne — a  favor  so  earnestly  wished  and  craved  by  many 
servants  of  God  endowed  with  qualities  far  above  what 
I  possess." 

On  the  nth  of  September,  1636,  Father  Jogues  reached 
the   village  of    Ihonatiria,   called  St.  Joseph,  w^here  the 
missionaries  had  their  residence.     They  all  hastened   to 
the  river-side  to  welcome  the  traveller.     The  arrival  of  a 
new  brother,  who  had   come  to  share   their  labors  and 
their  hopes,  brought  great  joy  to  their  humble  cabins. 
Father  Jogues  then  recalled  to  mind    the    feeling    and 
affectionate  invitation  which  Father  de  Brebeuf  had  ten- 
dered to  the  future  missionaries  of    the  Hurons,  and   he 
experienced  its  effects  in  himself.      Here  are  the  words  : 
"  When  you  arrive  among  the  Hurons,"  he  wrote,   "you 
shall  indeed  meet  with  hearts  overflowing  with  charity. 
We  will  receive  you  with   open   arms,  as  an  angel  from 
heaven.      We  shall  all  have  every  inclination  to  render 
you    services,  but  it  will  be  almost   beyond    all    possi- 
bility to   do  so.     We    shall  receive   you  in  a   cabin  so 
poor  that  I  despair  of  finding  one  in  France  wretched 
enough   for  me  to  say,  'See  how  you  will  be  lodged!' 
Fatigued   and    harassed  as   you    may  be,   we  can   offer 
you  only  a  poor  mat,  and  at  utmost  some  skins  for  your 
bedding ;  and  moreover,  you  will  arrive  in  a  season  when 
annoying  little   creatures,   called   touhac  here, — in  good 
French,  pieces,^ — will,   night   after    night,   prevent    your 
closing  an   eye,   for  in  these  regions  they  are  far  more 
importunate    than   in   France.      The   five  or  six   winter 
months  are  besieged  with  uninterrupted  vexations,  ex- 
cessive cold,  smoke,  and  the  importunity  of  the  Indians. 
Our  cabin  is  built  merely  of  bark,  but  so  well  knit  to- 
gether that  we  have  no  need  of  going  into  the  open  air 
to  know  the  state  of  the  weather.      The  smoke  is  often 
so  dense,  so  pungent,  and  so  perverse,    that  for  five   or 
six  days  at  a  time,  unless  you  are  well  inured  to  it,  it  is 
all  you  can  do  to  make  out  a  few  words  in  the  breviary." 

*  Fleas  in  English. 


The  Missionaries  Fall  Sick.  3  7 

Father  Ragueneau,  the  historian  of  that  time,  gives 
these  touching  details  of  the  welcome  Father  Jogues 
met  with  :  ''  I  made  all  the  preparations  for  his  recep- 
tion ;  but  oh,  what  a  feast  ! — a  handful  of  little  dried  fish, 
with  a  sprinkling  of  flour.  I  sent  for  a  few  ears  of  corn, 
which  we  roasted  for  him  after  the  fashion  of  the  country. 
But  it  is  true  that  at  heart,  and  to  hear  him,  he  never  en- 
joyed better  cheer.  The  happiness  felt  at  these  meetings 
seems  to  reflect  in  some  sort  the  joy  of  the  blessed  on 
their  entrance  into  heaven,  so  full  of  sweetness  is  it  !"  * 

This  painful  voyage,  which  served  as  a  noviceship  to 
his  apostolic  life,  was  only  the  prelude  to  more  serious 
trials.  The  joy  he  experienced  in  having  attained  what 
he  had  so  ardently  desired  prevented  his  feeling  at  once 
the  effects  of  his  hardships;  but  on  the  17th  of  Septem- 
ber he  fell  ill.  What  at  first  seemed  a  light  sickness  in 
a  few  days  showed  alarming  symptoms,  and  soon  carried 
him  to  the  brink  of  the  grave.  With  nothing  but  a  mat 
for  his  bed,  like  his  brethren,  and  some  decoction  of 
roots  to  assuage  the  burning  fever,  his  courage  was  sup- 
ported by  the  charity  of  his  fellow-missionaries,  his  pa- 
tience, and  humble  resignation  to  the  will  of  God.  Soon 
after,  the  same  disease  attacked  Fathers  Gamier  and 
Chastelain,  and  two  domestics.  The  missionaries'  hut 
was  transformed  into  a  hospital.  Fathers  de  Brebeuf, 
Peter  Pijart,  and  Le  Mercier  alone  escaped  the  disease,  f 

The  last  of  tliese  Fathers,  who  had  charge  of  the  sick, 
gives  the  following  affecting  account  of  those  days 
of  trial  and  anguish  :  "  We  then  were  almost  without 
domestics.  Francis  Petit-Pre,  the  only  one  in  health, 
was  away  day  and  night  hunting.  This  was,  under  God, 
our  only  resource  for  food.  On  the  first  days,  as  we  had 
no  game,  we  had  scarcely  anything  for  our  patients  but 

*  Relation,  1637. 

\  Father  Le  Mercier  was  twice  Superior-General  in  Canada.  After 
his  recall  to  France  in  1673,  he  was  sent  to  Cayenne  as  Visitor,  and 
died  at  Martinique  in  1692, 


38  Life  of  Father  Jogues, 

a  tea  of  wild  purslane  and  sour  grapes.  These  were 
our  first  broths.  True,  we  had  a  hen,  but  she  did 
not  lay  an  ^%^  every  day  ;  and  what  was  one  ^%^ 
among  so  many  sick  persons  ?  It  was  amusing  to  see 
us  who  remained  well  watch  for  the  laying  of  that 
egg  ;  then  a  consultation  was  to  decide  on  the  patient 
to  whom  it  should  be  given,  as  most  in  need  of  it,  and 
our  patients  debated  who  should  refuse  it. 

"  On  the  24th  of  September  Father  Jogues  grew  so 
much  worse  that  we  all  thought  he  must  be  bled.  We 
had  not  been  able  to  stay  a  bleeding  at  the  nose  so 
copious  that   he  could  not   take   any  food  except  with 

great  difficulty But  where  find  a  surgeon?     We 

were  all  so  well  skilled  in  this  art  that  the  sick  man 
did  not  know  who  would  perform  the  operation,  and 
every  man  of  us  only  waited  the  blessing  of  the  Superior 
to  take  up  the  lancet  and  strike  the  blow.  How^ever,  he 
resolved  to  do  it  himself,  as  he  had  once  before  bled  an 
Indian  successfully.  It  pleased  God  that  this  second 
operation  should  also  prove  successful,  and  that  what 
was  deficient  in  art  should  be  abundantly  supplied  by 
charity.  .   .  . 

''  God  lavished  His  benedictions  on  us  during  this  lit- 
tle domestic  affliction.  Sick  and  well,  none  ever  were 
in  better  spirits.  The  sick  were  as  willing  to  live 
as  to  die,  and  their  patience,  piety,  and  devotion  light- 
ened the  care  we  paid  them  day  and  night.  As  for 
the  Fathers,  they  enjoyed  a  blessing  scarcely  ever  granted 
in  France — they  received  every  morning  the  Holy  Sacra- 
ment of  the  altar.  From  this  treasure  they  drew  so  much 
holy  resolution  and  so  many  good  sentiments,  that  they 
loved  their  position  dearly,  and  preferred  their  poverty 
to  all  the  ease  they  might  enjoy  in  France."  * 

This  malady,  which  had  visited  the  good  Fathers  be- 
fore the  contagion  invaded  the  Huron  villages,  was  pro- 


*  Relation  de  la  Nouvelle  France,  1636. 


Recovery  of  the  Missionaries.  39 

vidential  in  every  respect.  It  taught  them  to  rely,  above 
all,  on  God's  help  rather  than  human  remedies  ;  then  it 
rendered  tliem  better  able  to  do  service  to  the  Indians, 
when,  in  their  turn,  they  caught  the  disease.  Their  reme- 
dies, already  tested,  gave  them  more  confidence,  and  their 
words  gained  in  weight  from  this  visible  protection  of  the 
Master  of  Life.  Mad  not  the  disease  broken  out  among 
them  first,  these  ignorant  and  credulous  people  would 
certainly  have  accused  them  as  the  cause  of  all  their 
misfortunes,  and  would  have  wreaked  on  them  an  un- 
just revenge.  Thus  good  does  often  come  from  evil, 
and  what  seems  as  undeserved  punishment  is  a  benefit 
at  the  hands  of  Providence. 


40  Life  of  Father  Jogices, 


CHAPTER    III.    • 

Recovery  of   the  Missionaries— The     Huron     Language— The 
Epidemics — Celestial  Favors. 

^jTgi^  ATHER  JOGUES,  in  the  full  strength  of  manhood 
'iLdT  and  with  an  excellent  constitution,  conquered  his 
disease.  God  reserved  him  for  a  more  glorious  end. 
About  the  middle  of  October  he  felt  so  far  recovered  as 
to  be  able  to  resume  his  work.  The  other  patients  had 
a  slow  convalescence,  and  all  sighed  for  the  time  when 
they  could  again  labor  in  the  vineyard.  However,  one 
task  adapted  to  the  state  of  their  convalescence  was 
the  study  of  the  Huron  language — the  first  indispens- 
able preparation  for  the  Mission. 

The  cabin  had  served  as  an  hospital :  it  now  became  a 
school-room  ;  and  Father  Jogues  with  the  rest  took  his 
place  among  the  pupils  of  Father  de  Brebeuf,  who  was 
proficient  enough  to  be  a  teacher  to  others.  But  a  knowl- 
edge of  that  language  was  one  of  the  hardest  difficulties 
of  the  Mission.  Two  missionaries,  who  had  in  France 
given  the  best  proofs  of  extrordinary  talents,  never  mas- 
tered this  language  so  as  to  be  able  to  use  it  in  the  pro- 
pagation of  the  Gospel — its  mechanism,  constituent 
elements,  and  syntax  are  so  very  peculiar ;  for  instance 
many  of  our  letters  are  wanting  in  their  alphabet,  such 
as  B,  F,  L,  M,  P,  Q,  X,  Y.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Hu- 
rons  give  the  letters  H  and  K  a  guttural  articulation, 
which  is  common  to  several  other  Indian  languages,  but 
unknown  to  the  French,  and  which  was  expressed  by 
Khi.    Many  of  their  words  seemed  formed  only  of  vowels. 


Mission  Life  Auiono  the  Ihirons.  41 

Father  de  Brebeuf  remarks,  that  "  undoubtedly  this  ab- 
sence of  labials  is  the  reason  why  all  Indians  open  their 
lips  so  ungracefully." 

Tiiere  are  no  limits  to  their  compound  words,  such  is 
the  wealth  of  the  language.  Nouns  and  adjectives  are 
conjugated,  and  verbs  undergo  infinite  modifications. 

Before  the  French  arrived,  tliese  tribes  had  no  words 
to  express  religion,  virtue,  and  science,  and  most  meta- 
physical ideas  were  unknown  to  them  ;  accordingly,  the 
missionaries  were  long  puzzled  to  find  terms  to  express 
our  mysteries  and  explain  them.  They  were  often  com- 
pelled to  employ  a  long  string  of  words  to  express  one. 

Father  Jogues  applied  himself  earnestly  to  this  uncon- 
genial labor,  and  God  blessed  his  exertions.  He  was  soon 
able  to  be  of  service.  To  spare  his  strength,  Father  de 
Brebeuf  would  not  at  first  permit  him  to  undertake  long 
and  painful  excursions.  He  appointed  him  to  superin- 
tend the  house,  and  the  work  of  their  domestics,  as  well 
as  the  cultivation  of  the  little  field  adjoining  the  cabin. 
The  Fathers  had  already  turned  to  account  a  few  grains 
of  wheat  they  had  received  from  Europe  mingled  with 
other  provisions.  Carefully  grown,  these  had  multiplied, 
and  the  husbandmen  looked  forward  to  a  little  harvest, 
which,  in  time  of  need,  would  supply  altar  breads.  This 
really  came  to  pass.  In  1637  they  gathered  half  a  bushel 
of  grain  ;  and  moreover,  they  succeeded  in  making  a 
small  keg  of  wine  from  the  wild  grapes  which  abounded 
in  those  virgin  forests. 

To  satisfy  the  Indians  that  the  missionaries  meant  to 
become  identified  with  them,  they  adopted  much  of  their 
way  of  living  as  regards  food  and  lodging.  Father  Jogues 
adapted  himself  to  all  this  with  the  greatest  ease.  It 
seemed  as  if  he  had  lived  many  years  among  them.  In 
spite  of  all  the  drawbacks  of  their  position  tiiey  lived 
up  to  the  forms  of  a  community  life. 

Two  of  the  laborers  in  this  Mission  have  left  interest- 
ing details  of  the  lives  of  the  Huron  missionaries,  a  faith- 


42  Life  oj  Father  Jogues. 

ful  portrait  of  their  private  life,  with  all  its  sacrifices, 
privations,  and  constraints.  Father  Chaumonot  *  writes  : 
"Our  dwellings  are  built  of  bark,  like  the  Indians',  with- 
out any  interior  partition,  except  for  a  chapel.  For  the 
want  of  tables  and  furniture,  we  eat  on  the  floor  and 
drink  out  of  cups  made  of  bark.  All  our  kitchen  and 
refectory  ware  consists  of  a  large  bark  platter  filled  with 
saganiite,  which  I  can  compare  to  nothing  but  the  paste 
used  for  papering  walls.  We  are  not  much  troubled  with 
thirst,  for  we  never  use  salt,  and  our  food  is  almost  al- 
ways liquid.  Our  bed  consists  of  bark,  on  which  we 
spread  a  blanket.  As  for  sheets,  we  have  none,  even  for 
the  sick  ;  but  the  greatest  inconvenience  is  the  smoke, 
which,  for  want  of  a  chimney,  fills  up  the  whole  cabin 
and  ruins  all  that  we  wish  to  preserve.  In  certain 
winds  it  is  unendurable,  for  it  makes  the  eyes  ache  dread- 
fully. In  winter  nights  we  have  no  other  light  than  that 
of  the  fire,  by  which  we  read  our  breviary,  study  the 
language,  and  do  all  that  is  needed.  By  day,  the  open- 
ing at  the  top  of  the  cabin  serves  as  a  chimney  and  a 
window." 

Then  Father  Francis  Duperron,f  in  a  letter  of  April  27, 
1639,  gives  us  their  distribution  of  time  for  each  hour  in 
the  day  :   "  At  four  the  bell  rings  for  us  to  rise,  then  medi- 

*  Father  Chaumonot  left  in  Canada  a  glorious  memory  for  zeal  and 
virtue.  After  mission  work  among  the  Hurons  and  Iroquois  he  was 
for  more  than  forty  years  in  charge  of  the  fugitive  Hurons  who  had 
taken  refuge  near  Quebec.  He  left  a  most  interesting  autobiography. 
He  died  at  Quebec  in  1693,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two,  after  celebrat- 
ing the  golden  jubilee  of  his  priesthood,  of  his  religious  life,  and  of 
his  mission  labors. 

\  Father  Francis  Duperron  arrived  in  Canada  in  1638,  labored  among 
the  Hurons  for  twelve  years,  and  returned  to  Europe  after  the  destruc- 
tion of  that  Mission.  Though  he  was  in  Canada  five  years  afterwards, 
he  was  soon  recalled.  A  touching  letter  is  preserved  at  Rome,  which 
he  addressed  to  the  General  of  the  Order,  soliciting  permission  to  return 
to  his  Mission.  He  obtained  it  in  1665  ;  but  it  was  only  to  die  there 
the  same  year.  His  brother  Joseph  Imbert,  was  also  a  missionary  in 
Canada  for  seventeen  years.     He  returned  to  France  in  1658. 


The  EpldeDiic.  43 

tation,  after  which  we  celebrate  Mass  in  turn  until  cisfht  : 
silence  is  kept  in  the  meanwhile,  each  one  being  engaged  in 
his  spiritual  reading,  or  the  recitation  of  the  Little  Hours. 
At  eight  o'clock  we  open  the  door  for  the  Indians,  who 
have  access  to  the  cabin  until  four  in  the  afternoon. 
Some  of  the  Fathers  go  their  lounds  among  the  cabins. 
At  two  o'clock  the  bell  gives  the  sign  for  the  Examina- 
tion of  Conscience,  which  is  followed  by  dinner,  during 
which  a  chapter  of  the  Bible  is  read,  while  at  supper  we 
read  the  Fhilagie  de  /e'sus,  by  Father  du  Barry.  We  say 
grace  in  Huron,  for  the  sake  of  the  Indians  who  are  pres- 
ent. 

"At  four  o'clock  we  dismiss  the  Hurons  who  are  not 
Christians,  and  we  recite  together  Matins  and  Lauds. 
Then  we  hold  a  consultation  of  three  quarters  of  an  hour 
on  the  progress  or  obstacles  of  the  Mission.  Then  we 
take  up  the  study  of  the  language  until  half-past  six, 
when  we  have  supper.  At  eight  o'clock  the  Litany  and 
Examination  of  Conscience."  * 

As  soon  as  Father  Jogues  had  fully  recovered  he 
took  his  share  in  the  apostolic  labors  of  his  brethren. 
He  accompanied  those  most  familiar  with  the  language 
in  their  excursions  ;  he  rehearsed  the  catechism  with  the 
little  ones,  he  taught  them  liow  to  pray,  and  adminis- 
tered baptism  to  the  dying. 

Meanwhile  the  spiritual  needs  became  ever  more 
pressing.  A  disease  began  to  spread  among  the  Indians. 
Limited  at  first  to  the  village  where  the  Fathers  resided, 
it  spread  to  the  neighboring  towns,  and  tlireatened  the 
whole  country.  The  main  effort  of  the  Fathers  was  to  find 
out  those  who  were  sick,  in  order  to  assist,  and,  if  possi- 
ble prepare  them  for  baptism.  They  organized  regular 
visits  to  the  villages,  and  established  a  kind  of  medical 
service,  which  became  the  best  means  to  gain  entrance 
into  the  Ccibins. 


*  Manuscript  in  ihe  Richelieu  Library. 


44  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

The  destitution  in  which  the  missionaries  lived  was  ex- 
treme; their  medicines,  reduced  to  the  minimum,  scarce- 
ly deserved  the  name.  A  small  package  of  senna  was 
divided  into  doses  for  more  than  fifty  persons.  The 
smallest  quantity  had  to  serve  as  remedies,  and  God  gave 
them  sometimes  such  virtue,  that  the  Indians  never 
doubted  their  efficacy.  The  remedy  frequently  consisted 
of  two  or  three  prunes,  five  or  six  raisins,  a  pinch  of  sugar 
in  water,  a  little  slice  of  citron  or  orange,  etc. 

The  blind  confidence  of  these  simple  souls  in  whatever 
was  given  them  often  gave  rise  to  amusing  scenes.  Once 
a  chief  came  to  ask  the  Fathers  for  something  to  relieve 
his  sister,  who  was  suffering  with  a  violent  headache.  He 
pointed  to  some  salve,  which  he  had  seen  applied  to  an 
abscess  and  had  proved  efficacious.  In  vain  did  the 
Fathers  endeavor  to  make  him  understand  that  it  was  a 
different  case  altogether.  He  would  have  his  own  way. 
The  box  of  salves  was  opened,  and  he  insisted  that  it  was 
just  what  he  required.  As  he  saw  salves  of  different 
colors,  he  begged  for  the  white  and  red  r.nd  green,  and 
formed  one  plaster  of  them,  which  he  laid  on  the  centre 
of  his  sister's  forehead.  His  triumph  was  complete  when 
the  next  day  the  patient  was  relieved. 

But  the  epidemic  made  immense  ravages.  The  vil- 
lage where  the  missionaries  lived  suffered  the  most, 
and  the  misfortune  was  looked  upon  as  a  punishment 
from  God,  for  in  this  very  spot  had  His  graces  met  with 
the  greatest  neglect  and  even  opposition.  The  town  w^as 
so  sadly  decimated,  that  shorth^  after  it  was  abandoned 
and  the  inhabitants  dispersed  among  the  i.cighboring 
villages. 

"Although  we  were  every  day  and  all  day  near  the 
dying,"  wrote  Father  Jogues  to  his  mother,  May  7,  1638, 
"in  order  to  gain  them  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  in  spite  of 
the  pestilential  air  we  breathed  near  them  and  around 
them,  not  one  of  us  fell  sick.  After  this  we  should  prove 
ourselves  truly  ungrateful  did  we  not  thank  the  Lord 
for  so  visible  a  protection   on  His   part,  and  did  we  not 


An  Indian  Council.  45 

lienceforvvard  put  all  our  trust  in  His  paternal  good- 
ness." 

The  missionaries  had  not,  indeed,  awaited  this  extrem- 
ity to  draw  upon  themselves  celestial  favor.  In  union 
with  his  fellow-missionaries  and  all  the  French  who  were 
in  tile  Huron  country.  Father  de  Brebeuf,  then  Superior 
of  the  Mission,  had  made  a  solemn  vow  to  obtain  protec- 
tion against  the  scourge.  The  priests  promised  to  offer 
three  Masses  in  honor  of  Our  Lord,  of  Our  Lady,  and  ot 
St.  Joseph,  the  patron  of  the  country.  Those  who  were 
not  priests  were  to  offer  three  communions  and  four 
rosaries  for  the  same  intention. 

Although  their  success  with  the  sick  did  not  corre- 
spond to  their  wishes  and  efforts,  the  missionaries  did  not 
labor  in  vain.  They  acquired  a  better  insight  into  the 
Indian  character,  and  heaven  seemed  ever  to  gain  some 
elect  souls.  Thus,  in  a  letter  to  his  brother  Samuel, 
a  Capuchin,  Father  Jogues  says:  "During  the  epi- 
demic the  Fathers  baptized  more  than  one  thousand  two 
hundred  persons.  Even  in  the  village  where  they  were 
the  most  exposed  to  the  perversity  of  the  people,  there 
were  always  some  anxious  to  follow  the  instructions  of 
our  Fathers;  about  one  hundred  have  been  regenerated 
in  the  waters  of  baptism,  amongst  them  twenty-two  little 
children."  Whole  villages  even,  as  at  Ouenrio  and  Ossos- 
sane,  begged  the  intervention  of  the  Fathers  to  avert  the 
scourge. 

Father  de  Brebeuf  selected  for  his  companion  Father 
Jogues  when  he  started  for  the  latter  village  to  meet  the 
wishes  of  the  inhabitants.  Father  Jogues  witnessed  all 
that  the  zeal  of  that  great  servant  of  God  inspired  him 
to  adopt  at  this  time  which  could  prove  advantageous  to 
the  faith.  He  saw  the  grand  ceremonial  followed  by 
those  people  when  they  discuss  affairs  of  importance  ; 
and  Father  de  Brebeuf  took  great  pains  to  conform  with 
their  rules  most  scrupulously  in  order  to  win  their  minds 
more  completely  to  his  cause.  Thus  Father  Jogues  at- 
tended one  of  the  great  councils  of  sachems  and  war  chiefs, 


^6  Life  of  Father  Jogucs. 

Already  the  chief  movers  in  the  affair  had  mounted 
the  tops  of  the  cabins,  and  had  repeatedly  raised  the  cry 
of  convocation,  and  at  the  appointed  hour  a  large  and 
anxious  assembly  met.  They  desired  to  know  what  the 
Black  Robe  iiad  to  say,  and  all  eyes  were  riveted  on  his 
person. 

Father  de  Brebeuf  first  addressed  a  prayer  to  the 
Great  Spirit,  and  then  distributed  some  pieces  of  to- 
bacco, for  Indians  would  regard  themselves  unfit  for  any 
deliberation  unless  their  calumet  was  lighted.  Then  he 
threw  into  the  midst  of  the  assembly  a  moose-skin,  two 
hatchets,  and  eighty  wampum  beads.  Any  proposition 
made  to  Indians  must  always  be  affirmed  by  presents. 
At  this  point  Father  de  Brebeuf,  with  all  the  freedom 
which  these  steps  gave  him,  solemnly  told  them  that 
Faith  alone  could  remedy  all  their  evils.  He  earnestly 
urged  them  to  abandon  all  their  superstitious  observ- 
ances, and  to  implore  God's  mercy  with  perfect  confi- 
dence. "  As  a  warrant  of  your  good-will,  and  of  the  sin- 
cerity of  your  dispositions,  solemnly  pledge  yourselves,' 
said  he,  *'  to  raise  at  once  a  chapel  to  the  Great  Spirit  in 
your  village."  The  assembly  ended,  as  usual,  with  a  ban- 
quet. The  Indians  all  seemed  to  have  been  gained  over; 
but  their  natural  inconstancy,  and  some  unforeseen  cir- 
cumstances which  occurred,  retarded  the  execution  of 
the  pious  project.  The  Fathers  had  hastened  back  to 
Ihonatiria,  where  a  new  storm  had  been  raised  against 
the  missionaries. 

Some  Indians  who  had  been  at  Manhattan  Island  re- 
ported that  they  had  been  warned  by  the  whites  living 
there  (the  Dutch)  of  the  danger  they  ran.  "  Be  on  your 
guard,"  they  said,  "  against  these  Catholic  missionaries, 
and  above  all,  the  Jesuits — woe  to  the  country  into  which 
they  effect  an  entrance  ;  it  will  be  at  once  made  desolate 
and  utterly  ruined:  they  dare  show  themselves  in  Eu- 
rope no  more,  and  wherever  they  are  caught  they  are  put 
to  death." 


Medici  lie  JUcn.  47 

Tlieir  gross  and  credulous  minds,  always  easily  im- 
pressed when  their  interests  are  concerned,  were  soon  in- 
duced to  believe  these  calumnies,  which  were  magnified 
by  tile  hatred  and  fanaticism  of  some  very  bad  men 
among  them.  They  at  once  gave  out  that  the  Black 
Gowns  were  the  authors  of  the  plague,  and  had  in  their 
cabins  the  sources  of  all  evils.  According  to  some,  it 
was  the  pictures  hung  up  in  the  chapel  ;  whilst  others 
avowed  that  it  was  the  tabernacle  on  the  altar,  within 
which  was  kept  the  body  of  a  child  killed  in  the  woods 
and  preserved  with  great  care.  Everything  used  by  the 
missionaries,  and  their  most  trifling  actions,  received  an 
unfavorable  interpretation.  Every  little  act  of  devo- 
tion, even  the  sign  of  the  cross,  was  regarded  as  a  spell 
cast  on  them  or  the  cloak  of  some  evil  design.  A  mis- 
sionary's walk  up  and  down,  his  recital  of  his  breviary, 
even  the  weathercock  perched  on  a  pole  near  the  cabin, 
all  to  their  eyes  portended  mischief  and  mystery.  The 
boldest  among  them  would  come  to  the  Fathers,  entreat- 
ing them  earnestly,  even  with  threats,  to  stop  the  scourge 
or  give  up  their  incantations  ;  nor  would  they  listen  to 
any  explanation. 

The  hand  of  God  evidently  restrained  those  wicked 
men  ;  for  the  Fathers,  altogether  defenceless  amidst  a  peo- 
ple who  made  so  light  of  human  life,  remained  perfectly 
tranquil.  No  one  dare  touch  them.  This  was  beau- 
tifully expressed  by  Father  Jogues  in  a  letter  to  his 
mother  :  "  God  was  far  more  powerful  to  protect  those 
who  for  His  glory  had  thrown  themselves  into  the  arms 
of  His  Providence,  than  men  were  wicked  to  hurt  them." 

It  is  especially  in  days  of  trial  and  sickness  that  hea- 
then Indians  resort  to  all  sorts  of  superstitions.  Their 
simplicity  leads  them  to  adopt  readily  \tiiatever  they  im- 
agine to  be  a  means  of  relief.  Their  belief  in  dreams  is 
unlimited,  and  never  did  an  Indian  refuse  anything  re- 
quired for  the  fulfilment  of  a  dream.  They  study  their 
dreams  carefully  to  find  a  remedy  for  their  diseases  ;  and 


48  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

when  they  think  they  have  discovered  it,  the  remedy 
must  be  employed  at  any  cost.  Tlie  medicine-men,  al- 
ways ver}^  numerous  among  them,  were  the  ordinary 
and  interested  interpreters  of  their  dreams.  More- 
over, they  had  recourse  to  numberless  acts  of  super- 
stition, which  they  palmed  off  as  efficacious  remedies. 
Now  they  would  blow  on  the  sick  with  all  their  might  to 
drive  off  the  evil  spirits  ;  then  they  would  ihrow  into  the 
fire  small  pieces  of  tobacco  as  a  sacrifice  to  the  spirits, 
who  were  adjured  to  protect  the  cabin.  They  could  be 
seen  searching  everywhere  for  the  spell  which  they  sup- 
posed to  be  the  source  of  the  evil  ;  and  when  recovery 
seemed  certain,  they  had  tact  enough  to  pretend  they  had 
just  found  it.  They  almost  always  had  recourse  to  dances, 
which  Indians  like,  and  which  enter  largely  into  their  su- 
perstition. Sometimes  these  dances  were  disgustingly 
lascivious — generally  only  grotesque.  The  dancers  as- 
sumed the  forms  of  hunchbacks  orcripples,  and  hid  behind 
wooden  masks  of  the  most  ridiculous  and  varied  forms. 
Afterwards  the  masks  were  attached  to  manikins  placed 
on  the  roofs  of  the  cabin,  for  the  purpose  of  frightening 
away  sickness,  and  the  spirits  that  are  the  cause  of  death 
In  the  midst  of  such  coarse  vagaries  of  idolatry,  in  the 
presence  of  a  stubborn  resistance  to  the  faith,  against 
every  kind  of  calumny  aimed  at  their  work  and  baptism, 
in  continual  danger  of  death,  the  missionaries  had  no 
other  comfort  than  to  mourn  at  the  foot  of  the  altar,  and 
pray  to  God  for  that  unfortunate  people.  Yet  their  fer- 
vent hearts,  burning  with  zeal  for  the  glory  of  God,  suf- 
fered far  more  from  all  these  impediments  placed  in  the 
way  of  the  Gospel,  than  from  all  the  privations  entailed 
by  their  residence  among  savages. 

To  feelings  of  this  kind  Father  Jogues  gave  vent  in  writ- 
ing to  his  mother,  at  a  time  when  the  missionaries  were 
denied  admittance  to  any  of  the  great  towns.  "It  had 
become  impossible  for  us  to  enter,"  he  wrote,  ''and  we 
had  to  endure  the  harrowing  pain  of  seeing  more  than  a 


Celestial  Favors.  49 

hundred  unfortunate  people  dying  before  our  eyes  who 
in  vain  entreated  our  assistance." 

This  life,  crucified  in  every  aspect,  might  justly  be  re- 
garded as  a  protracted  martyrdom.  Father  Jerome  Lale- 
mant,  after  having  endured  its  tortures  in  person,  did 
not  hesitate  to  state,  in  the  Relation  of  1639  :  ''I  had 
my  doubts  at  first  whether  we  could  hope  for  the  con- 
version of  this  people  without  shedding  blood.  I  must 
acknowledge  that  since  I  am  here  and  witness  what  oc- 
curs every  day,— I  mean  the  struggles,  the  general  attacks 
and  assaults  of  every  kind,  which  tlie  evangelical  labor- 
ers encounter  every  day,  and  at  the  same  time  their  pa- 
tience, iheir  courage,  their  unflinching  pursuit  of  their 
aims, — I  begin  to  doubt  whether  any  other  martyrdom  is 
requisite  for  the  end  for  which  we  labor  ;  and  I  have  not 
the  least  doubt  that  many  would  be  found  who  would 
rather  feel  at  once  the  keen  edge  of  a  hatchet  on  their 
head,  than  endure  for  years  a  life  such  as  we  have  to  live 
here  every  day." 

Yet  the  divine  Consoler,  who  dwelt  in  the  midst  of  His 
servants,  and  communed  with  them  every  day,  upheld 
their  courage.  He  often  rewarded  all  this  long-suffering 
with  some  of  the  unspeakable  consolations  which  are 
truly  a  foretaste  of  the  holy  joys  of  heaven. 

About  this  time  Father  Jogues  was  deemed  worthy  of 
one  of  these  heavenly  favors,  and  although  it  came  to 
him  only  in  a  dream,  there  w-ere  such  circumstances  at- 
tached to  it,  and  its  effects  had  been  so  beneficial,  that 
ills  confessor  requested  him  to  record  it  in  writing.  We 
are  indebted  to  Father  Ragueneau  for  an  extract  from 
it  in  1652,  which  we  translate  from  the  Latin  : 

"  On  Tuesday,  May  4, 1637,  the  eve  of  the  Ascension  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  while,  after  dinner,  I  was  studying 
the  Huron  language  with  Father  Chastelain,  I  felt  over- 
come by  sleep,  and  I  begged  him  to  allow  me  a  moment 
of  rest.  He  advised  me  to  visit  the  chapel,  and  rest 
awhile  before  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  remarking  that  he 


KQ  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

was  in  the  habit  of  doing  so,  and  always  to  the  benefit  of 
his  piety,  and  that  in  such  sleep  he  had  occasionally 
enjoyed  celestial  happiness. 

"  I  arose,  but  thinking  that  I  could  not  without  irrever- 
ence sleep  in  the  awful  and  adorable  presence  of  my 
sovereign  Lord,  I  went  to  the  adjoining  woods,  much 
confused  to  know  that  others,  even  in  their  sleep,  were 
more  united  with  God  than  I  in  the  very  act  of  prayer. 

"  I  had  scarcely  lain  down,  when  I  fell  asleep  and 
dreamed  I  was  singing  vespers  with  the  other  Fathers 
and  the  domestics.  On  one  side  stood  Father  Peter 
Pijart,  *  close  by  the  door,  and  I  was  a  little  farther 
on.  I  do  not  know  who  were  on  the  other  side,  or  in 
what  order. 

"  Father  Pijart  began  the  first  verse  of  the  psalm  Verba 
mea  auribus  percipe,  Domine  [Give  ear,  O  Lord  !  to  my 
words]  (I  do  not  exactly  know  the  number  of  it)  (Ps.  v.). 
As  he  could  not  continue  it  alone,  we  ended  it  with  him. 
"When  the  verse  was  ended,  I  seemed  to  be  no  longer 
in  our  cabin,  but  in  a  place  I  knew  not,  when  all  at  once 
I  heard  verses  sung  (I  forget  which)  which  had  refer- 
ence to  the  happiness  of  the  Saints,  and  the  delights  they 
enjoy  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  The  chanting  was  so 
beautiful,  and  the  melody  of  voices  and  instruments  so 
harmonious,  that  I  have  no  recollection  of  ever  having 
heard  the  like,  and  it  even  seems  to  me  that  the  most 
perfect  concerts  are  nothing  compared  to  it.  To  com- 
pare such  harmony  with  that  of  earth  would  be  insult- 
ing. 

<' Meanwhile  this  most  admirable  concert  of  the  an- 
gels excited  in  my  heart  a  love  of  God  so  great,  so  ar- 
dent, so  burning,  that,  unable  to  bear  such  an  overflow- 


*  Father  Peter  Pijart,  after  fifteen  years  on  the  Canada  Mission, 
returned  to  France  in  1650.  His  elder  brother,  Claude,  came  over  two 
years  after  him,  and  died  at  Quebec  m  1683,  aged  eighty-three,  in 
high  repute  for  virtue. 


Celestial  Favors.  51 

ing  of  sweetness,  my  poorlieart  seemed  to  melt  and  di- 
late under  this  inexplicable  wealth  of  divine  love.  I  ex- 
perienced this  feeling  especially  as  they  sang  the  verse  I 
so  well  remember,  lutroibijnits  in  tabcniaculuni  ejKS,  adora- 
biiniis  in  loco  ubi  stetcrunt pedes  ejus  [We  will  go  into  His 
tabernacle,  we  will  adore  in  the  place  where  His  feet 
stood  (Ps.  cxxxi.  7)]. 

"While  yet  half  asleep,  I  began  at  once  to  think  that 
it  all  was  in  accord  with  the  words  Father  Chastelain  had 
spoken  to  me. 

"  I  awoke  soon  after,  and  all  disappeared,  but  there 
lingered  in  my  soul  so  great  a  consolation  that  its  re- 
membrance filled  me  with  inexpressible  delights.  The 
fruit  I  have  derived  is,  it  seems  to  me,  that  I  feel  more 
drawn,  for  the  love  of  our  Lord,  to  pant  after  the  celes- 
tial country  and  eternal  joys.  Happy  moment  !  oh,  how 
short  !  I  do  not  think  it  lasted  longer  than  it  takes  to 
recite  a  Hail  Mary.  If,  O  Lord!  thou  dealest  with  us 
thus  in  our  exile,  what  will  Thou  give  unto  us  in  our 
home  ?"     [St.  Augustine.] 


52  J^if^  oj  Father  J ogtces. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

New  Residences — Saint  Mary — Mission  among  the  Tionontate 
Nation — Voyage  to  Sauit   Sainte  Marie. 

HE  dispersion  of  the  villageof  Ihonatiria  was  neces- 
sarily followed  by  the  departure  of  the  missiona- 
ries. They  settled  in  two  great  villages,  to  which 
they  had  already  made  regular  visits,  and  where  they  had 
a  number  of  fervent  converts. 

Ossossane,  called  Conception  by  the  Fathers,  was  al- 
ready considered  a  residence,  as  a  chapel,  with  a  cabin 
for  the  missionaries,  had  been  established  therefor  more 
than  a  year.  Father  Jogues  had  visited  it  several  times, 
and  in  1639,  writing  to  his  brother  Samuel,  he  says  : 
"  Our  poor  Indians  treat  us  as  true  friends.  We  have  in 
Ossossane  a  cabin  thirteen  fathoms  in  length.  A  chapel 
has  been  built  entirely  of  boards,  which  attracts  the  eyes 
and  the  admiration  of  all  the  inhabitants.  Besides  the 
conversations  we  hold  every  day  in  each  cabin,  we  have 
a  public  catechism  class  every  Sunday  in  our  own,  when 
many  of  the  sachems  of  the  nation  attend,  headed  by  a 
family  of  Christians  of  seven  or  eight  persons.  Thus 
does  God  still  the  tempest  and  bring  peace  '  at  His 
will.'  " 

The  other  village,  which  was  especially  to  replace 
Ihonatiria,  was  Teanausta3'ae,  called  also  St.  Joseph.  It 
was  one  of  the  largest  in  the  country.  Here  the  Faith 
had  warm  followers  as  well  as  fierce  enemies,  who  were 
the  earnest  promoters  of  all  the  calumnies  invented 
against  the  Gospel  and  its  apostles.  To  gain  a  com- 
plete triumph  over  the  systematic  opposition  which  some 
miscreants  kept  up  against  admitting   the  missionaries, 


New  Residences,  53 

Father  de  Brebeuf,  after  making  sure  of  the  presence  of 
devoted  friends,  boldly  appeared  before  the  assembly 
of  the  sachems,  pleaded  his  own  cause,  and  gained  it. 

The  first  mass  was  celebrated  in  this  town  on  the  25th 
of  June,  1638,  in  the  cabin  of  the  brave  Stephen  Totiri, 
whom  we  shall  meet  again,  sharing  the  captivity  and  tor- 
tures of  Father  Jogues.  This  Father  was  one  of  the  first 
residents  at  the  post.  He  happily  began  his  ministry  by 
the  baptism  of  an  Iroquois  prisoner,  who  was  running 
the  horrible  gauntlet  of  torture  ;  and  in  the  first  year  he 
regenerated  in  baptism  forty-eight  children  and  seventy- 
two  adults. 

However,  the  foundation  of  these  two  residences  satis- 
fied neither  the  hopes  of  the  missionaries  nor  the  needs 
of  the  country.  Hence,  in  1639,  they  resolved  not  to  re- 
main separated,  but  to  select  a  central  site,  apart  from 
any  Huron  town  and  completely  independent.  This 
they  would  make  their  centre  of  action,  from  which  they 
could  proceed  in  any  direction  as  they  were  required. 
This  course  enabled  them  to  consult  quietly  as  to  the  best 
means  to  forward  the  welfare  of  the  Mission,  and  afforded 
a  place  of  rest  to  those  whose  courage  exceeded  their 
strength,  and  for  all  when  they  wished  to  reanimate  their 
souls  by  the  holy  exercises  of  a  retreat.  They  made 
choice  of  a  solitary  spot  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the 
Huron  peninsula.  It  lay  in  the  tribe  of  the  Attaronchro- 
nons,  almost  in  the  very  centre  of  the  land,  and  on  the 
banks  of  a  small  river  (the  Wye),  which  near  it  empties 
into  the  great  lake.  It  is  a  point  from  which  there  was 
easy  communication  with  all  parts  of  the  country.  This 
plan  was  strongly  approved  in  Europe,  and  Cardinal 
Richelieu,  not  content  with  mere  words  of  commenda- 
tion, promised  a  large  sum  to  build  a  fort  on  the  spot, 
and  maintain  a  small  garrison.  The  fathers,  in  their  iso- 
lated position,  needed  this  defence  against  the  frequent 
and  sudden  inroads  of  the  Iroquois. 

The  new  establishment  was  called  The  Residence  of  St. 


54  ^^y^  of  Father  Jogucs. 

Mary,  and  work  was  commenced  at  once.  A  vast  inclo- 
sure  of  palisades  formed  a  first  rectangular  defence; 
part  of  the  inclosed  ground  was  to  serve  for  tillage  and 
part  for  a  cemetery.  At  the  four  corners  a  cross  was 
erected  to  show  that  it  was  dedicated  to  the  Lord. 
Within  the  palisade  was  the  fort  inclosing  the  house  of 
the  French  and  the  chapel.  Not  far  from  these  were 
two  large  cabins — one  to  serve  as  a  hospital  for  sick  In- 
dians, the  other  a  hospice  for  travellers.  It  soon  became 
a  place  of  great  resort  for  the  Indians,  especially  for 
the  Christians.  "  The  exterior  splendor  of  our  cere- 
monies," writes  Father  Ragueneau;  "the  beauty  of  our 
chapel,  which,  though  poverty  itself,  is  regarded  in  this 
country  as  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  world;  the  masses, 
sermons,  vespers,  processions,  and  benedictions,  all  per- 
forrued  with  a  pomp  unknown  to  the  Indians — gives  them 
some  idea  of  the  meijesty  of  God,  whilst  they  are  made 
to  understand  that  He  is  honored  all  over  the  world  with 
a  worship  a  thousand  times  more  solemn." 

The  catechumens  came  here  to  be  finally  instructed, 
and  the  good  Christians  to  advance  in  the  practice  of 
their  religion;  the  sick  to  obtain  relief  in  body  and 
comfort  in  soul;  some  even  to  beg  but  one  thing — the 
privilege  of  dying  near  their  fathers,  and  resting  in 
peace  in  blessed  ground. 

Father  Jogues  took  an  active  part  in  the  foundation  of 
the  Residence  of  St.  Mary,  and  from  the  very  first  he 
was  appointed  to  superintend  the  work  of  putting  up 
the  palisade,  which  gave  him  charge  over  the  domestics 
and  some  fifteen  laborers.  They  were  the  only  French 
then  among  the  Hurons.  The  Governors  of  Canada 
would  not  allow  an}^  to  settle  except  under  the  supervi- 
sion of  the  missionaries,  in  order  to  prevent  the  great 
disorders  which  had  in  early  times  given  great  scandal, 
still  brought  up  against  religion. 

Father  Jogues  found  in  them  simple  and  docile  hearts, 
exemplary   for   their  virtue    and    devotedness.       There 


Residence  of  St.  Mary.  55 

were  some  among  them  who  formed  a  special  class  in 
Canada,  and  rendered  the  greatest  services  to  the  mis- 
sion. The}''  were  called  donnes,"^  for  they  gave  them- 
selves by  contract  and  for  life  to  the  service  of  the  Mis- 
sion, without  pay.  The  Mission  enjoyed  the  benefit  of 
their  work,  and  were  bound  to  provide  forall-their  wants 
as  long  as  they  lived.  They  took  the  place  of  lay-broth- 
ers, whom  it  was  impossible  to  secure  in  number  large 
enough  for  the  wants  of  the  Mission;  and  not  being 
bound  by  vows,  these  donnes  formed,  as  it  were,  an 
intermediate  class  between  the  religious  and  servants. 
At  the  time  we  write  there  were  only  six  of  them,  but  in 
1649  there  were  as  many  as  twenty-three.  The  care  of 
temporal  affairs  did  not  absorb  Father  Jogues'  time  so 
exclusively  that  he  could  not  aid  the  three  Fathers  at- 
tached to  the  post  in  the  labors  of  the  ministry.  He 
took  care  of  the  numbers  of  Indians  who  visited  them, 
and  made  frequent  excursions  to  four  little  villages  in 
the  neighborhood,  which  had  been  left  to  the  care  of  the 
Fathers  of  Saint  Mary. 

A  difficult  mission  was  intrusted  to  his  care  in  1640. 
He  was  detailed  with  Father  Charles  Garnier  to  attempt 
the  establishing  of  a  mission  in  a  neighboring  nation 
which  had  not  yet  been  visited  by  the  missionaries.  Af- 
ter being  for  a  long  time  hostile  to  the  Hurons,  it  had 
just  concluded  a  close  alliance  with  them.  Similar  in 
habits  and  languaii^e,  it  shared  the  same  apprehensions 
of  danger  from  the  Iroquois.  This  seemed  the  favorable 
time  to  speak  to  them  of  tlic  Faith. 


*  This  new  class  and  title,  instituted  by  the  members  of  the  Society 
of  Jesus,  and  for  thf-ir  service  excited  criticism  and  complaint,  which 
were  carried  to  Rome.  Some  regarded  it  as  an  innovation,  and  the 
introduction  of  a  kind  of  third  order  like  that  existing  in  several  re 
ligious  orders,  but  not  in  use  in  the  Society.  Father  Jerome  Lale- 
mant  drew  up  in  1643  a  memoir  to  justify  this  course  and  remove  the 
fears.  He  received  the  approbation  of  his  Superiors  (Archives  of 
the  Gesu,  Rome)., 


56  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

It  was  the  nation  of  the  Tionontates,  called  Petun  or 
Tobacco  Indians  by  the  French,  on  account  of  their 
large  trade  in  that  plant,  of  which  they  seemed  to  have 
almost  a  monopoly.  They  lived  about  thirty  miles 
southwest  of  the  Hurons,  in  what  are  now  called  the 
Blue  Mountains.  As  there  were  no  open  roads  or  means 
of  transportation,  travel  in  winter  could  be  made  only 
on  foot  and  with  snow-shoes.*  In  that  season,  too, 
the  streams  could  not  obstruct  travel,  nor  was  there 
much  danger  from  the  Iroquois.  But  whether  from  fear 
of  the  enemy  or  misgivings  of  the  undertaking,  the  guides 
of  the  missionaries  played  false  at  the  moment  of  start- 
ing. There  was  no  otlier  resource  left  but  to  trust  to 
vague  information,  which  rendered  their  route  any- 
thing but  certain.  But  heroic  souls  enjoy  the  loss  of  all 
human  means,  in  order  to  trust  more  generously  to  Di- 
vine providence.  And  thus  did  these  men  of  God  act. 
They  started  under  the  guidance  of  God  and  of  His 
holy  angels.  Before  they  had  accomplished  half  the  dis- 
tance they  lost  their  way,  and  were  forced  to  stop  and 
pass  the  night  in  the  woods.  They  had  learned  from 
the  Indians  to  clear  the  snow  from  the  spot  where  they 
intended  to  make  their  beds  of  spruce-branches,  and  to 
raise  around  tliem  a  little  breastwork  as  a  shelter  against 
the  wind.  Then  they  lighted  an  immense  fire  to  keep  the 
frost  off,  and  lay  down  to  sleep. 

The  next  morning  they  started  again  at  haphazard, 
their  whole  provisions  consisting  of  a  piece  of  bread; 
but  at  last,  at  eight  o'clock  at  night,  footsore  and  ex- 
hausted, they  reached  the  first  hamlet  of  the  Tionontate 
nation.  Well  acquainted  with  the  ready  hospitality  of 
the  Indians,  with  whom  the  stranger  is  always  welcome, 
they  boldly  entered  the  first  cabin  they  reached  to  spend 
the  night. 

*  Snow-shoes  are  fastened  firmly  under  the  feet,  and  keep  a  person 
from  sinking  in  the  snow.  The  French  call  them  raquettes  from  their 
resemblance  to  the  racket  used  in  some  games  of  ball,. 


Visits  the  Tionontatcs.  57 

They  knew  it  not;  but  Providence  was  guiding  iheni 
by  its  hand  for  the  salvation  of  a  poor  soul.  The  news 
of  the  arrival  of  the  black-gown  was  soon  known.  In  a 
few  moments  a  young  man  arrived  in  haste,  who  wished 
the  missionaries  for  a  woman  lying  sick  in  his  cabin. 
She  was  a  poor  creature  at  the  point  of  death,  and  she 
had  but  one  desire — to  be  admitted  to  the  prayer  of  the 
French.  The  Fathers,  hastening  to  the  spot,  found  a  pre- 
destined soul  filled  with  all  the  ineffable  blessings  of 
grace.  She  had  the  happiness  of  receiving  baptism  and 
breathed  her  last  in  peace. 

But  hell  was  alarmed  at  the  coming  triumphs  of  the 
Failh:  it  let  loose  its  agents,  and  the  calumnies  spread 
among  the  Hurons  found  their  way,  with  a  tenfold  in- 
crease of  terror,  through  all  the  villages.  The  two 
Fathers  inspired  such  terror  that  often  women  and  chil- 
dren fled  at  their  approach.  A  chief  with  whom  they 
'lodged  was  a  prey  to  the  greatest  apprehensions.  He 
told  them  his  fears,  and  no  explanations  could  allay  them. 
Their  slightest  actions,  even  their  kneeling  at  prayer, 
seemed  to  him  some  act  of  sorcery.  He  resorted  to 
every  means  to  make  them  depart,  as  he  could  not  vio- 
late the  laws  of  hospitality  by  driving  them  out.  Above 
all,  he  feared  lest  in  a  moment  of  exasperation  some  In- 
dians might  come  and  put  the  strangers  to  death  in  his 
cabin;  for  among  the  Indians  any  one  has  a  right  to  kill 
a  sorcerer,  but  no  one  wishes  his  own  cabin  defiled  by 
blood. 

Persecution  attained  such  a  height  that  the  missionaries 
could  scarcely  remain  two  days  at  a  time  in  one  village. 
Sometimes  they  would  hear  their  hosts  start  up  at  night 
and  order  them  out  of  the  house  at  once;  others  would 
shout  to  them  from  outside  that  they  must  leave  before 
daybreak,  and  without  stopping  in  the  village,  or  else 
they  would  tomahawk  them. 

The  two  Fathers  had  spent  two  months  in  these  in- 
cessant perils  without  having  the  least  chance  of  making 


58  Life  of  Father  J  agues. 

any  stable  mission:  they  resolved  to  return;  yet  their 
labor  had  not  been  fruitless.  They  had  surveyed  the 
ground  and  prepared  tlie  way.  The  next  year,  Father 
Charles  Garnier  returned  and  formed  a  flourishing 
church,  known  as  the  Mission  of  the  Apostles,  In  1649 
he  bedewed  it  with  his  blood. 

By  this  time  Father  Jogues  was  looked  upon  as  an  ex- 
perienced missionary,  and  was  again  detailed  for  import- 
ant duties. 

In  1641,  some  Indians  of  Algonquin  origin,  called  Otta- 
was,*  descended  from  the  shores  of  Lake  Superior  to 
visit  the  Algonquin  tribes  dwelling  near  the  Hurons,  and 
to  witness  their  great  Feast  of  the  Dead,  This  was  a 
solemn  occasion  with  these  wild  tribes,  and  its  celebra- 
tion occurred  only  every  ten  or  twelve  years.  Some  of 
the  missionaries  who  resided  among  the  Hurons  had  at- 
tended these  Algonquin  tribes,  and  reckoned  among 
them  a  good  number  of  converts.  These  Fathers  were 
at  hand,  during  this  great  gathering,  in  order  to  open 
intercourse  with  the  visiting  tribes,  and  thus  open  new 
paths  for  the  Gospel. 

Impressed  with  what  they  had  heard  of  the  prayer  of 
the  French,  and  what  they  saw  with  their  own  eyes,  the 
Ottawas  readily  accepted  the  advances  of  the  mission- 
aries, who  willinghr  agreed  to  visit  them  in  the  fall,  at 
Sault  Sainte-Marie,f  when  those  nomadic  tribes  assem- 
bled to  catch  white-fish. 

Father  Jogues,  now  well  versed  in  the  Huron  language, 

*  The  Ottawas  were  a  tribe  living  on  the  upper  lakes,  and  closely 
connected  with  the  Chippewas,  called  Sauteu.x  by  the  French,  from 
their  residing  at  Sault  Sainte-Marie;  but  the  word  Ottawa  was  loosely 
applied  to  all  the  Western  Algonquins,  and  the  Ottawa  River  received 
its  name  from  the  fact  that  it  was  the  route  to  the  Ottawa  country, — 
Ed. 

f  The  Hurons  called  this  rapid  Skiae,  and  the  first  French  explorers 
named  it  Sault  de  Gaston,  It  took  the  name  of  Sault  Sainte  Marie, 
which  it  still  retains,  from  a  Mission  founded  there  about  1669. 


The  OUawas,  59 

was  associated  with  Father  Cliarles  Raymbault,*  who 
had  mastered  the  Algonquin,  and  they  took  their  depart- 
ure for  SaultSainte-Marie  on  the  17th  of  September,  1641. 
Able  to  speak  these  two  mother-tongues,  they  could  con- 
verse with  any  Indians  they  might  encounter.  They  had 
before  them  a  journey  of  250  miles,  to  be  made  in  their 
birch-canoe  over  the  great  Lake  Huron,  coasting  the 
northern  shores,  tlirough  the  forest  of  islets  which  border 
it.  Upwards  of  two  thousand  Indians  were  awaiting 
them,  and  gave  them  a  flattering  reception.  The  Fathers 
reciprocated  as  usual  with  presents  and  feasts.  The  chief 
of  the  Chippewas  desired  something  more:  he  raised  his 
voice  in  the  name  of  his  tribe,  and  made  the  strongest 
appeal,  in  order  to  retain  the  missionaries  among  them. 
Said  he:  "Stay  with  us:  we  will  embrace  you  like  brothers; 
we  will  learn  from  you  the  prayer  of  the  French,  and  we 
will  be  obedient  to  your  words  "   (Rel.  1641). 


*  Father  Raymbault  had  been  in  Canada  from  1637.  but  his  delicate 
constitution  could  not  endure  the  hard  Mission  life.  After  this  excur- 
sion he  returned  to  Quebec,  utterly  exhausted,  and  aware  that  the  end 
of  the  struggle  had  arrived.  He  died  there  October  22,  1642,  aged  forty- 
one.  "The  self-denying  man,"  says  Bancroft,  "  who  had  glowed  with 
the  hope  of  bearing  the  Gospel  across  the  continent,  through  all  the 
American  Barbary,  even  to  the  ocean  that  divides  America  from  China, 
ceased  to  live;  and  the  body  of  this  first  apostle  of  Christianity  to  the 
tribes  of  Michigan  was  buried  in  'the  particular  sepulchre  '  which  the 
justice  of  that  age  had  'erected  expressly  to  honor  the  memory  of  the 
illustrious  Champlain,  Thus  the  climate  made  one  marty-r."  He  was 
the  first  Jesuit  who  died  in  Canada.  A  touching  incident  is  told  of  the 
close  of  his  life:  He  had  long  desired  to  gain  to  the  Faith  an  Algon- 
quin chief  who  had  shown  great  kindness  to  the  missionaries.  He 
did  not  gain  him  till  the  last  moment,  so  that  he  may  be  said  to  have 
died  triumphant.  "  Mangouch,"  he  said  to  him  in  a  failing  voice,  "you 
see  that  I  am  surely  going  to  die.  At  this  time  I  would  not  deceive 
you.  Believe  me  when  I  assure  you  that  there  is  below  a  fire  which 
will  burn  for  eternity  those  who  refuse  to  believe."  This  truth,  which 
the  Indian  had  frequently  heard  without  heeding,  now  struck  him  like 
a  thunderbolt,  when  it  came  from  the  lips  of  a  dying  man.  He  be- 
came a  fervent  Christian. 


6o  Life  oj  Father  J ogues. 

It  was  not  possible  to  yield  at  once  to  this  earnest  ap- 
peal. The  small  number  of  missionaries,  and  the  ever- 
increasing  wants  of  the  Huron  Mission  forbade  tiiem  to 
divide  their  forces.  They  had  advanced  so  far  only  like 
the  bold  explorers  of  new  lands,  to  examine  the  soil,  to 
know  the  inhabitants,  and  prepare  a  way  to  the  conquests 
of  Faith,  when  the  proper  time  should  arrive;  but  the 
road  was  open,  and  the  first  seed  planted. 

The  missionaries  did  not  depart  from  this  hospitable 
land  without  leaving  behind  a  token  of  their  presence — a 
mark,  as  it  were,  that  they  had  taken  possession  in  the 
name  of  the  Gospel.  They  raised  a  tall  cross  on  the 
banks  of  the  river,  to  show  the  limits  reached  by  the 
preaching  of  its  apostles.  They  made  it  face  the  im- 
mense Valley  of  the  Mississippi,  to  which  their  attention 
had  been  called  in  a  vague  manner,  but  which  they  were 
told  was  inhabited  by  numerous  tribes  of  nations  still 
unknown. 

The  end  had  been  attained.  Furnished  with  valuable 
information,  the  two  envoys  of  the  Faith  returned  to  their 
Huron  Mission  before  winter.  There  was  plenty  of  labor 
in  that  field,  but  it  attained  success  only  at  the  cost  of 
many  trials  and  sacrifices. 

Father  Jogues  resumed  his  peaceful  and  humble  duties 
at  the  Residence  of  St.  Mary;  but  the  call  to  stern  com- 
bats was  about  to  be  sounded.  He  was  to  meet  the  most 
formidable,  the  most  ferocious  enemy,  both  of  the  Hurons 
and  of  the  Christian  Faith — the  Iroquois.* 

*  According  to  Charlevoix,  the  name  Iroquois  was  given  to  this 
people  by  the  French.  It  comes  from  the  word  Hiro  or  Hero — I  have 
said  it,  with  which,  like  the  old  Romans,  they  ended  their  speeches, 
and  Kou^,  a  guttural  cry,  more  or  less  prolonged,  which  they  then 
uttered  to  uphold  their  words.  The  learned  George  Horn  sought  a 
more  remote  origin,  but  less  probable.  In  his  work  De  Origine 
Americanorum  he  makes  the  people  and  the  name  descend  from  the 
Ircans  of  Herodotus. 


The  Iroquois,  6i 


CHAPTER    V. 

The  Iroquois — Father   Jogues   goes   down  to  Quebec — His 

Captivity, 

m^  LTHOUGH  not  the  most  numerous,*  yet  the  Iro- 
quois were  the  most  terrible  of  all  tribes  then 
known  to  the  French  in  Canada.  They  did  not 
thirst  after  wealth,  for  the  passion  of  riches  does  not  en- 
ter the  heart  of  the  savage,  but  they  would  admit  no  rival 
in  their  ascendancy  over  the  rest.  Successful  in  all  their 
undertakings  for  fifty  years  past,  they  were  drunk  with 
pride.  Their  name  inspired  terror  far  and  near.  All  their 
neighbors  had  learned  at  bitter  cost  to  dread  their  war- 
like valor,  which  was  equalled  only  by  its  own  cruelty. 
Their  arrogance,  as  well  as  their  superiority  over  adjoin- 
ing tribes,  was  increased  by  the  fact  that  the  Hollanders 
of  Manhattan  had  begun  just  then  to  supply  them  with 
fire-arms. 

The  Iroquois  formed  a  kind  of  federal  republic,  com- 
posed of  five  cantons  or  nations,  called  by  the  French  from 
their  own  names,  Agniers,  Oneiouts,  Onontagues,  Goio- 
goens,  and  Tsonnontouans,  though  the  English  colonists 
styled  them  the  Mohawks,  Oneidas,  Onondagas,  Cayugas, 
Senecas,  and  collectively  the  Five  Nations.  They  were 
commanded,  like  all  Indian  tribes,  by  chiefs  or  captains, 
and  public  affairs  were  administered  by  the  great  coun- 
cils of  the  Sachems.  Each  canton  had  its  own  separate 
political  existence,  and  was  independent  in  the  adminis- 
tration of  its  internal  affairs.  In  a  common  cause  they 
united  and  supported  each  other. 

*  According  to  the  Relation  of  1660,  the  Iroquois  cantons  then 
had  a  population  of  25,000,  the  warriors  being  one  tenth  that  number. 


62  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

The  geographical  position  favored  their  warlike  in- 
stincts, their  hunts,  and  external  relations.  Ranged  along 
the  southern  shores  of  the  Lake  Ontario,  and  on  the  Mo- 
hawk River,  from  the  Niagara  to  the  Hudson,  they  had 
easy  access  on  the  west  to  the  great  lakes,  and  even  to  the 
Mississippi,  and  on  the  east  they  could  easily,  in  their 
light  canoes,  reach  the  Atlantic. 

The  Agniers  (Mohawks),  nearest  to  the  Dutch  post  of 
Rensselaerswyck  (the  Albany  of  our  day),  where  we 
shall  soon  meet  Father  Jogues,  carried  on  a  brisk  traf- 
fic with  the  Europeans,  exchanging  their  rich  peltries, 
the  great  object  of  mercantile  cupidity,  for  arms  employed 
in  war  or  hunting.  But  intercourse  with  the  Dutch  was 
most  fatal  to  the  Indians,  as  it  fostered  their  intense 
avidity  for  spirituous  liquors,  and  imbued  them  with  feel- 
ings of  hatred  against  the  Catholic  faith  and  its  apostles. 
For  some  years  the  Mohawks  had  waged  a  relentless 
war  on  the  Indian  tribes  which  were  allied  to  the  French, 
and  especially  the  Hurons  and  the  Algonquins,  who  traded 
the  most  with  the  colony  in  Canada.  The  Mohawks  de- 
scended by  Lake  Champlain  and  the  river  Richelieu, 
long  known  by  their  name,  and  were  ready  to  attack  and 
plunder  the  flotillas  of  canoes,  as  they  made  their  way  to 
or  from  the  French  posts. 

At  this  time  the  French  had  only  little  cities,  or  rather 
posts,  in  those  distant  regions — Quebec  and  Three  Riv- 
ers. The  palisades  which  inclosed  them  were  guard- 
ed only  by  a  few  soldiers.  Had  the  Iroquois  known 
their  weakness,  and  attacked  with  more  skill,  the  colony 
could  not  have  resisted  long.  At  first  they  seemed  only 
to  covet  the  blood  of  the  Indians  and  their  goods;  but 
the  presence  of  the  French,  whose  dominion  they  feared, 
and  whose  religion  they  hated  as  repugnant  to  their 
savage  instincts,  goaded  them  to  a  war  for  the  destruc- 
tion of  both  the  native  tribes  and  the  new-comers.  They 
constantly  beset  the  Ottawa  River.  Their  warriors,  in 
bands  of  twenty,  fifty,  or  one  hundred,  were  posted  along 


SeuL  to  Quebec,  63 

a  line  of  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  and  in 
most  advantageous  positions,  so  as  to  command  all  the 
passes.  A  party  escaping  one  band  was  sure  to  fall  into 
the  hands  of  another.  Well  aware  of  the  influence  of 
the  French  over  their  allies,  the  Iroquois  were  anxious  to 
capture  a  /^/^-/^<:^,  and  above  all  a  black-gown.  Father 
Jogues  became  their  victim. 

The  information  we  have  as  to  the  terrible  sufferings 
of  his  captivity  and  of  accompanying  events  is  drawn 
from  the  recitals  of  Christian  captives  who  succeeded  in 
making  their  escape,  and  from  two  long  letters  in  which 
the  pious  missionary  relates  the  main  incidents  to  his 
Superiors.  One  of  these,  full  of  charm  and  candor,  is 
written  in  terse  and  elegant  Latin;  it  is  a  precious  record 
of  his  trials,  all  the  more  entitled  to  credit  from  the  fact 
of  its  coming  from  the  pen  of  a  man  who  always  avoided 
publicity,  and  whose  modesty  only  obedience  could  over- 
come. Piety  and  humility  are  his  plea  for  describing 
these  sad  days  in  Latin:  "I  could  more  easily  employ 
the  very  words  of  our  sacred  books,"*  he  writes  with 
great  simplicity;  "they  formed  my  greatest  consolation 
in  my  extreme  trials,  and  at  the  same  time  this  letter 
will  be  less  easily  read." 

His  brethren,  to  whom  he  loved  to  unbosom  his  heart 
in  conversation,  succeeded  in  obtaining  from  him  many 
details  which  he  had  buried  in  profound  silence,  and  of 
whose  merit  he  seemed  unconscious.  In  what  we  shall 
relate  it  is  Father  Jogues,  who  to  a  great  extent  is  the 
narrator. 

While  returning  from  the  Chippewas,  Father  Jogues 
had,  in  his  intercourse  with  God,  apparently  been  favored 
with  some  revelation  of  what  was  to  befall  him.  While 
prostrate  before  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and  earnestly 
beseeching  our  Lord  to  allow  him  to  drink  of  the  chalice 
of  His  sufferings  in  order  to  labor  more  efficaciously  for 

*The  references  to  the  Bible  are  added  by  us;  Father  Jogues 
cited  only  from  memory. 


64  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

the  glory  of  His  holy  name,  he  heard  as  it  were  a  voice 
replying  to  the  aspirations  of  his  heart,  Thy  prayer  is 
heard  (Acts  x.  31);  thou  shalt  have  what  thou  hast  asked 
(4  Kings  ii.  10);  take  courage  and  be  stro?ig  (Jos.  i.  6). 
These  words  sank  in  his  heart  with  an  impression  akin 
to  the  certainty  of  faith.  He  never  forgot  them:  amidst 
his  tortures  they  bore  him  up.  He  never  doubted  but 
they  had  been  uttered  by  Him  who  knows  the  future, 
and  who  alone  can  make  man  invincible  in  struggles 
which  exceed  our  natural  strength. 

Father  Jerome  Lalemant,*  then  Superior  of  the  Huron 
Mission,  unav/are  of  what  had  passed  between  God  and 
His  servant,  had  chosen  him  for  a  very  perilous  under- 
taking,— a  journey  to  Quebec, — on  business  connected 
with  the  Mission.  While  proposing  to  Father  Jogues  to 
accept  it,  he  left  him  free  to  decline  the  dangerous  un- 
dertaking. 

At  that  time  it  was  a  most  dangerous  expedition,  for 
the  great  river  swarmed  with  Iroquois  warriors,  who 
seemed  frantic  with  rage.  To  accept  the  task  assigned 
was  risking  almost  certainly  loss  of  liberty,  and  even  of 

life. 

The  year  before  the  French  had  rejected  peace,  be- 
cause the  terms  offered  by  the  Iroquois  were,  as  will  be 
seen,  impossible.  In  February,  1641,  two  young  men, 
Francis  Marguerie  and  Thomas  Godefroy,  were  surprised 
by  the  Iroquois  while  hunting.  The  track  of  their  snow- 
shoes  enabled  the  enemy  to  surprise  and  carry  them  off 
to  their  country.  They  were  at  first  objects  of  curiosity. 
Some  Iroquois  who  had  been  prisoners  among  the 
French  took  them  under  their  protection,  and  one  of 
them,  in  recognition  of  former  favors  received  from  Mar- 
guerie, declared  boldly  that  the  captives  should  not  be 


*  Father  Jerome  Lalemant  was  twice  Superior-General  in  Canada. 
"He  is  the  holiest  man  I  ever  knew,"  wrote  the  Ven.  Mother  Mary 
of  the  Incarnation.     He  died  at  Quebec  in  1673,  aged  eighty. 


At  Three  Rivers.  65 

put  to  death;  he  even  offered  presents  for  their  ransom. 
The  matter  was  debated  in  a  council,  and  it  was  resolved 
to  employ  the  aid  of  the  two  Frenchmen  in  securing  a 
treaty  01  peace.  Five  hundred  warriors  set  out  on  this 
errand;  but  some  of  them  took  post  along  the  great  river 
St.  Lawrence  to  plunder  the  Hurons  and  Algonquins, 
whilst  the  rest,  to  the  number  of  three  hundred  and 
fifty,  arrived  at  Three  Rivers  in  the  beginning  of  June. 
Early  one  morning  a  man  was  seen  approaching  alone 
in  a  canoe,  hoisting  a  white  flag  in  token  of  peace.  It  was 
Marguerie.  He  announced  in  the  name  of  the  Iroquois, 
that  he  came  to  treat  of  peace  with  the  French,  but  not 
with  the  Indians.  Privately  he  informed  our  people  that 
it  was  the  plan  of  the  Iroquois  to  conquer  our  allies,  to 
exterminate  them,  and  thus  to  become  masters  of  the 
whole  country. 

The  Governor  of  Quebec,  on  being  informed  of  the 
fact,  went  up  to  Three  Rivers;  and  meanwhile  the  French- 
man returned  to  the  Iroquois  with  another  Frenchman, 
who  took  a  large  supply  of  food.  Father  Ragueneau, 
also  Superior  of  the  Mission,  visited  their  camp  and  was 
well  received;  but  they  did  not  disguise  their  hostile  feel- 
ings towards  the  other  Indians,  and  even  during  these 
preliminaries  some  Algonquins  were  surprised  and  mur- 
dered by  Iroquois  runners. 

Governor  de  Montmagny  arrived  at  last,  and  was  re- 
ceived with  a  salvo  of  musketry.  Father  Ragueneau 
and  Mr.  Nicolet*  were  appointed  to  discuss  the  condi- 
tions of  peace. 

A  council  was  held  in  the  camp  of  the  Iroquois,  on  the 
loth  of  June,  with  great  solemnity.  Onagan,  one  of  the 
chiefs,  made  an  able  speech,  offered  presents,  and  set  the 
two    Frenchmen    free.     The    Governor   consented   to    a 

*  Nicolet,  at  first  merely  an  Indian  interpreter,  deserves,  for  the  ser- 
vices he  rendered,  an  honorable  place  in  Canadian  history.  He  ar- 
rived in  1618,  and  was  drowned  in  1642.  He  is  the  first  Frenchman 
who  reached  the  Mississippi,  about  1639. 


66  Life  of  Fathei' Jogties. 

peace  provided  his  Indian  allies  were  included.  Seeing 
that  they  could  not  attain  their  end,  the  Iroquois  dissem- 
bled, and  while  deferring  their  answ^er,  they  insulted  the 
French,  and  even  fired  on  their  boat.  The  Governor  then 
ordered  a  general  discharge  of  his  artillery;  but  the  Indi- 
ans had  sought  cover,  and  the  following  night  they  de- 
camped. 

This  was  the  signal  of  a  more  bitter  war  than  ever. 

During  this  short  armistice  Father  de  Brebeuf  had 
left  the  Hurons  in  very  bad  health,  and  had  escaped  the 
Iroquois,  who  lay  in  wait  for  him.  Father  Jogues  was 
not  so  fortunate.  He  knew  that  the  negotiations  were 
broken  off,  and  that  hatred  had  revived  in  the  hearts  of 
the  Iroquois;  but  he  had  been  made  ready  for  the  sacri- 
fice long  ere  this.  "They  only  proposed  this  voyage  to 
me,"  he  said.  "I  received  no  command;  I  offered  to  go 
the  more  willingly,  as  its  necessity  would  have  thrown 
some  better  missionary  than  myself  into  the  dangers  we 
foresaw."  Thus  was  the  victim  prepared  for  the  sacri- 
fice in  charity  and  humility.  In  his  wonted  deference 
to  the  will  of  his  Superior  he  took  this  proposal  as  an 
order  from  heaven,  and  he  prepared  to  fulfil  it  by  a 
retreat  of  eight  days  and  a  general  confession. 

On  the  2d  of  June,  1642,  four  canoes  were  moored  at 
the  little  harbor  of  St  Mary.  They  were  freighted  with 
precious  peltry,  to  be  used  by  the  Indians  for  barter- 
ing in  the  colony.  Twenty  warriors,  most  of  them 
Christians,  formed  this  party,  which  required  tried  cour- 
age and  energetic  souls.  Three  Frenchmen,  with  Father 
Jogues  and  Father  Raymbault,  whose  shattered  health 
needed  a  change  of  climate,  completed  the  caravan. 

At  a  given  signal,  the  paddles,  plied  with  skill,  sent  the 
canoes  with  thp  intrepid  travellers  over  the  smooth  waters, 
amid  the  benedictions  of  the  Fathers,  and  the  God-speeds 
of  kindred  and  friends  from  the  shore.  It  took  thirty- 
five  days  to  reach  Three  Rivers.  This  passage  of 
more  than  six  hundred  miles  was  seldom  accomplished 


At  Three  Rivers.  67 

without  alarm,  hardships,  and  dangers.  But  no  enemy 
appeared.  The  only  drawback  they  met  was  the  wreck 
of  two  canoes  while  shooting  a  rapid,  and  the  loss  of  part 
of  their  baggage. 

During  this  long  passage  Father  Jogues  did  not  allow 
his  zeal  to  rest.  He  divided  his  time  between  the  care 
of  his  sick  companion,  and  practices  of  piety,  regularly 
observed  by  the  whole  party.  Prayers  were  said  aloud 
morning  and  evening,  and  he  improved  their  precarious 
situation  to  inspire  them  with  fear  lest  they  should  die 
in  a  state  of  mortal  sin.  Then  he  employed  his  time  in 
keeping  up  the  fervor  of  the  Christian  converts  by  pious 
discourses,  and  completed  the  instruction  of  the  catechu- 
mens, so  that  they  should  be  prepared  to  receive  baptism 
in  case  of  danger.  Without  tarrying  long  at  Three 
Rivers,  the  pious  party  soon  passed  on  to  Quebec,  the 
end  of  their  journey.  They  were  received  with  every 
manifestation  of  joy,  and  with  fervent  thanks  to  God. 
The  Fathers  in  Quebec  eagerly  listened  to  the  accounts  of 
the  labors  and  sufferings  of  their  brethren,  and  rejoiced  at 
the  opportunity  of  being  able  to  send  them  some  help. 
Great  was  the  edification  with  which  the  colony  of  Que- 
bec impressed  the  Indians.  The  convents  of  the  Ursulines 
and  Hospital  Nuns*  seemed  to  attract  their  attention. 
They  never  tired  in  visiting  them  ;  all  seemed  wonderful 
in  their  eyes. 

Their  surprise  increased  when  they  were  told  of  all 
that  these  holy  virgins  had  sacrificed — their  family  ties, 
the  comforts  of  their  native  land,  every  convenience  in 

*  These  two  precious  houses,  the  supports  of  faith  in  Canada  and 
one  of  its  glories,  have  continued  uninterruptedly  from  1639  to  our 
time,  developing  their  mission  of  charity  and  zeal  with  the  necessities 
around  them.  The  Duchess  of  Aiguillon,  Richelieu's  niece,  founded 
the  Hotel-Dieu  or  Hospital  at  Quebec,  at  the  same  time  that  Madame 
de  la  Peltrie,  a  rich  young  widow  of  Alen^on,  established  the  Ursulines 
there,  with  the  celebrated  Ven.  Mother  Mary  of  the  Incarnation  as 
their  Superior. 


68  Life  of  Father  Jogiies. 

life in  order  to  come  to  encourage  and  teach  them,  im- 
pelled only  by  the  love  of  God  and  love  of  their  neigh- 
bors. 

The  Mission  of  Sillery,  founded  for  the  Algonquins 
by  the  Commander  of  that  name,  two  miles  and  a  half 
from  the  city,  v^as  then  at  the  height  of  its  fervor.  The 
Hurons  were  impressed  as  deeply  as  they  had  been  by 
the  communities  at  Quebec.  There  they  beheld  the  won- 
ders wrought  by  prayer  in  hearts  not  long  ago  idolatrous, 
and  abandoned  to  vice  and  superstition.  The  change 
filled  them  with  esteem  and  love  for  the  Faith. 

The  Indians  soon  transacted  their  business.  The  rich 
furs  were  readily  exchanged  for  hatchets,  iron  pots,  glass 
beads,  knives,  awls,  blankets,  fire-arms,  powder  and  shot. 
The  barter  was  mutually  advantageous,  and  was  easily 

effected. 

Father  Jogues  meanwhile  had  received  packages  and 
provisions  to  the  amount  of  about  two  thousand  dollars, 
all  to  be  appropriated  to  the  Huron  Mission,*  There  were 
vestments,  altar-plate,  articles  to  decorate  the  churches, 
and  some  books— a  precious  treasure  for  a  country  desti- 
tute of  everything.  He  was  also  intrusted  with  letters 
for  the  missionaries. 

After  nineteen  days  spent  in  Quebec,  and  when  all 
arrangements  had  been  made,  the  fervent  missionary  was 
anxious  to  retrace  his  steps.  He  desired  to  rejoin  his 
brethren,  and  afford  them  some  relief  in  their  life  of 
privation.  He  re-embarked  with  the  same  courage  and 
trust  in  God  that  had  inspired  him  at  the  outset.  His 
party  had  received  an  increase.  Some  Hurons  who  had 
remained  at  Quebec  from  the  previous  year  resolved  to 
profit  by  this  opportunity  of  returning  to  their  country. 
The  presence  of  the  servant  of  God  seemed  to  inspire 
them  with   confidence.     Two  Frenchmen,  Rene  Goupil 

*The  Mission  then  comprised  fourteen  Jesuit  Fathers,  some  lay- 
brothers,  and  other  Frenchmen  in  charge  of  their  temporal  affairs,  in 
all  thirty-three  persons  (Relation,   1641-42). 


He  sets  02U  for  his  Mission.  6g 

and  William  Couture,  men  of  great  virtue  and  tried 
devotedness,  took  passage  also  for  tlie  Hurons.  Both 
were  donne's  of  the  Mission,  and  merited  what  Father 
Jerome  Lalemant  said  of  t*hem  in  the  Relation  of  1643  : 
"  These  two  young  men  were  above  all  praise  in  their 
wav,  and  were  fitted  for  this  country."  A  young  Huron 
woman,  Teresa  Oiouhaton,  from  the  town  of  Ossossane, 
who  for  two  years  had  been  under  the  care  of  the  Ursu- 
lines,  and  had  admirably  profited  by  their  training,  joined 
the  party  to  return  home  with  her  uncle,  Joseph  Theon- 
dechoren.  Only  by  the  authority  of.  Father  Jogues 
could  she  be  prevailed  on  to  leave  the  Sisters,  to  whom 
she  clung  with  the  tenderest  affection.  Her  love  of  vir- 
tue made  her  shrink  from  the  sight  of  scandals.  But 
the  missionaries  based  great  hopes  on  her  example  and 
influence  for  the  Faith.  God  had  other  designs  in  her 
regard.  Notwithstanding  her  youth,  her  virtue  was  to 
shine  amid  tiie  dangers  and  trials  of  captivity. 

This  pious  party  formed  a  fleet  of  twelve  canoes,  car- 
rying forty  persons.  History  has  preserved  the  names 
of  some  of  those  gallant  companions  of  Father  Jogues 
— men  who  will  play  a  glorious  part  in  the  sad  scenes  we 
are  soon  to  describe.  Among  them  were  Joseph  Theon- 
dechoren,  Charles  Tsondatsaa,  Stephen  Totiri  and 
another  Stephen,  Theodore,  Paul  Ononhoraton,  and 
above  all,  Eustace  Ahasistari,  as  well  as  his  nephew.* 
Father  Jogues  left  Quebec  with  his  numerous  com- 
panions at  the  end  of  July.  It  was  an  event  for  the  little 
city  :  its  pious  inhabitants  were  too  much  interested  in 
the  progress  of  the  Faith  not  to  crowd  around  them,  help 
them  aboard,  and  give  them  a  hearty  God-speed,  with  a 
thousand  benedictions. 

The  convoy  halted  a  short  time  at  Three  Rivers,  where 
Governor    de    Montmagnyf  then    w^is,   carrying    out    a 

*See  Appendix. 

f  The  Hurons  and  Iroquois  called  him  Onnontio  (great  or  beautiful 
mountain),  and  the  name  became  the  official  one  of  his  successors, 
to  whom  this  term  was  always  givea. 


70  Life  of  Father  Jogties, 

measure  regarded  as  a  highly  important  defence  against 
the  Iroquois.  By  order  of  the  Cardinal  Prime  Minister, 
he  was  about  to  erect  a  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  by 
which  these  savages  made  their  inroads  on  the  colony. 
He  named  it  Fort  Richelieu.^-  Foreseeing  the  danger  to 
which  the  missionary  and  his  Hurons  were  exposed,  the 
Governor  insisted  upon  detailing  some  soldiers  for  their 
escort,  but  either  from  a  feeling  of  pride  or  false  security 
the  Huron  chiefs  obstinately  refused  the  offer.  An  Indian 
never  believes  in  danger  until  he  faces  it.  Yet  they  took 
many  precautions,  and  above  all,  they  earnestly  prayed 
to  Heaven  to  be  taken  under  its  protection.  At  Three 
Rivers  they  celebrated  the  feast  of  St.  Ignatius,  and  all 
received  Holy  Communion.  The  next  day,  just  before 
embarking,  the  Hurons  held  a  council,  as  is  usual  with 
the  Indians  in  critical  affairs,  in  order  to  encourage  each 
other.  It  showed  the  influence  which  Faith  had  acquired 
over  their  hearts.  One  of  the  chiefs  said  :  "  Is  there  any 
amongst  us  who  would  renounce  his  belief  in  God  were 
he  to  be  burned  b}?"  our  enemies  ?  We  are  Christians  to  be 
happy  in  heaven,  not  on  this  earth  !"  They  all  applauded 
the  words,  and  professed  to  be  of  the  same  sentiment. 

Ahasistari  spoke  last,  and  he  did  it  as  a  Christian  hero  : 
**  Brothers,  should  I  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Iroquois, 
I  cannot  hope  for  life  ;  but  before  I  die  I  shall  ask  them, 
'  What  have  the  Europeans  brought  into  their  country  ? — 
hatchets,  blankets,  pots,  guns.  And  I  will  say  to  them, 
They  love  you  not  :  they  hide  from  you  the  most  costly 
of  all  ware,  which  the  French  give  us  without  barter. 
They  have  made  us  acquainted  with  a  God  who  has 
created  all  things,  an  eternal  fire  destined  for  those  who 
offend  Him,  and  a  place  of  happiness  everlasting  for  those 


*Now  Sorel,  or  William  Henry.  This  Fort  Richelieu  must  not  be 
confounded  with  another  of  the  same  name  erected  by  Champlain  in 
1634  on  Isle  Ste.  Croix,  thirty-seven  miles  above  Quebec,  but  which  was 
not  long  maintained. 


TJicy  leave  Three  Rivers,  71 

who  serve  Him,  when  our  souls  and  our  bodies,  which  will 
one  day  arise  again,  shall  be  in  glory.'  And  I  will  say 
again,  '  Behold  ijiy  great  happiness.  Wreak  now  all  your 
cruelties  on  my  body  ;  by  your  torments  you  will  sepa- 
rate my  soul  from  it,  but  you  cannot  tear  this  hope  from 
my  heart.'  "  Then  turning  to  Charles  Tsondatsaa  :  "  My 
brother,  if  it  be  God's  will  that  I  fall  captive  to  the  enemy, 
and  you  escape,  return  to  my  country,  bring  my  relations 
together,  and  tell  them,  for  the  love  of  me,  and  much 
more  of  themselves,  to  embrace  the  Prayer.  Prayer  alone 
can  strengthen  and  give  comfort.  If  they  follow  the 
part  of  Faith,  we  shall  one  day  be  united.  God,  the 
Master  of  life,  is  all  my  hope  ;  and  wherever  I  may  be  I 
shall  live  and  die  for  Ilim." 

Such  language  carries  us  back  to  the  time  when  the 
Christians  of  the  primitive  Church  encouraged  each  other 
to  martyrdom.  How  beautiful  to  witness  in  savage 
hearts,  yet  infants  in  the  Faith,  the  same  resignation,  the 
same  fervor,  and  the  same  earnestness  ! 

On  the  second  day  of  August  our  travellers  entered 
their  canoes  and  began  their  journey  under  happy  aus- 
pices. All  seemed  to  favor  their  undertaking.  The 
first  day  they  made  thirty  miles,*  and  in  the  evening  they 
landed  on  the  bank  facing  the  islands  in  Lake  St.  Peter,f 
to  camp  for  the  night.  They  started  betimes  the  next  day, 
hugging  the  shore,  to  avoid  the  current.  Whilst  some 
at  the  head  of  the  flotilla  were  on  shore  towing  their 
canoe,  they  were  brought  to  a  halt,  a  little  more  than 
a  mile  after  starting,  by  the  discovery  of  a  fresh  Indian 
trail  on  the  sand.  '  They  are  Iroquois,"  cried  some. 
"  No ;  Algonquins,"  others  replied.  The  brave  Ahasis- 
tari,  whose  experience  and  virtue  inspired  respect,  put 


*Charlevoix("Historyof  New  France"),  misled  by  a  note  of  Mother 
Mary  of  the  Incarnation,  incorrectly  makes  the  capture  of  Father 
Jogues  occur  fifteen  or  sixteen  leagues  from  Quebec. 

f  A  wide  part  of  the  river  a  litde  above  Three  Rivers. 


72  Life  of  Father  Joo7ies. 

an  end  to  the  discussion  by  exclaiming,  "  Friend  or 
foe,  what  does  it  matter  ?  If  we  trust  to  this  trail,  they 
are  only  a  few  ;  what  need  we  fear  ?"  In  his  brave  im- 
petuosity he  forgot  that  they  were  in  a  hostile  country, 
and  that  all  was  to  be  feared  from  men  whose  cunning 
was  only  equalled  by  their  fury. 

In  fact,  near  by  a  band  of  seventy  Iroquois  lay  in  am- 
bush, led  by  a  Huron  traitor  adopted  among  the  Mo- 
hawks :  a  vile  apostate'^  who  used  his  knowledge  of  the 
route  usually  followed  by  his  countrymen  to  lie  in  wait 
for  them  at  a  secure  spot  and  surprise  them  as  they 
passed.  Hidden  among  the  reeds  and  rushes,  they 
awaited  their  prey.  As  soon  as  they  saw  it  in  reach  they 
rose,  and  with  fearful  yells  poured  in  a  volley  of  mus- 
ketry. Only  one  Huron  was  v/ounded — in  the  hand  ; 
but  many  canoes  were  riddled,  and  their  occupants  took 
refuge  in  the  nearest  woods,  carrying  along  a  number  of 
the  Hurons  before  they  had  time  to  take  in  the  situa- 
tion and  organize  their  defence.  Disorder  in  an  army 
is  almost  always  the  forerunner  of  defeat,  and  if  able 
commanders  can  at  times  control  its  results,  with  Indi- 
ans it  is  impossible. 

Eustace,  on  beholding  the  enemy,  fell  on  his  knees, 
and  cried,  "O  God!  in  Thee  alone  I  trust."  For  his 
part.  Father  Jogues,  forgetful  of  all  but  his  priestly 
duty,  thought  of  the  salvation  of  souls:  he  offered  a 
short  prayer  with  those  who  were  preparing  to  repel  the 
attack,  and  who  indeed  fought  gallantly.  His  first  care 
was  for  Bernard  Atieronhonte,  the  steersman  of  his  canoe, 
and  the  only  one  in  it  who  had  not  yet  been  baptized, 
although  for  some  time  a  catechumen.  He  had  himself 
solicited  this  favor  before  confronting  the  risks  of  battle, 

*  Known  as  Mathurin's  man,  because,  before  his  capture  by  the 
Iroquois  and  adoption  of  their  hatred  of  the  French,  he  had  guided  to 
Quebec  a  young  man  named  Mathurin,  who  had  rendered  the  Huron 
missionaries  great  services,  and  who,  returning  to  France,  became  a 
Capuchin. 


Surprised  by  Mohawks,  73 

and  he  received  it  with  joy  and  calmness,  while  the  bul- 
lets were  whizzing  around  and  the  welkin  rang  with  the 
war-cry.  It  was  the  last  act  of  the  priest  in  his  free- 
dom, and  it  was  rewarded  with  God's  benedictions;  for 
Bernard,  after  he  had  made  his  escape  from  the  Iroquois, 
always  remained  a  faithful  Christian.  He  related  with 
deep  emotion  the  heroic  charity  of  the  good  missionary 
at  that  critical  moment :  "  I  thank  God  that  I  entered 
the  Church  by  such  a  way,  and  I  shall  never  forget  that 
beautiful  day.  The  self-devotion  of  my  Father  was 
enough  to  confirm  me  in  my  faith.  Who  could,  then, 
withstand  belief  ?  Indeed,  these  men  who  come  to  teach 
us  must  be  very  certain  of  the  truth  they  preach,  and 
look  to  God  alone  for  the  only  reward  they  seek,  for 
Ondesonk*  forgot  himself  altogether  in  the  moment  of 
the  greatest  danger,  to  think  only  of  me.  Instead  of 
seeking  safety  for  himself,  he  baptized  me;  he  loved  me 
more  than  himself.  Death  here  below  had  no  terrors 
for  him,  but  he  was  alarmed  for  my  eternal  death." 

Meanwhile  a  dozen  Hurons  stood  their  ground  and 
continued  the  struggle.  Whilst  gallantly  fighting,  they 
saw  some  forty  Iroquois,  who  lay  in  ambush  on  the 
other  side  of  the  river,  crossing  to  re-enforce  their  com- 
rades. The  odds  became  too  great  :  they  fled  in  haste, 
leaving  behind  a  few  who  still  fought  bravely  on.  At 
their  head  was  Rene  Goupil,  a  young  man  of  admirable 
intrepidity  and  of  still  greater  virtue.  He  soon  found 
himself  almost  alone,  facing  the  whole  host  of  enemies. 
With  some  Hurons  who  fought  beside  him,  he  was  at  last 
surrounded  and  taken. 

Father  Jogues  had  gained  the  shore,  and,  concealed 
behind  bushes  and  reeds  near  the  battle-ground,  watched 
the  fight,  resigned  to  whatever  its  result  might  be. 
The  Iroquois  passed  by  him  several  times  in  their  pur- 
suit of  the  fugitives,  but  had  not  seen  him.     Had  he  re- 

*  Father  Jogues'  Huron  name. 


74  L^fo  of  FatJicr  Jogttes. 

mained  there  he  would  have  escaped  captivity;  but  let 
us  hear  him  express  the  feelings  of  his  heart  when  he 
beheld  the  complete  defeat  of  the  Hurons  and  the  cap- 
ture of  the  last  of  the  warriors:  "The  thought  of  flight 
never  entered  my  mind ;  besides,  I  was  barefooted.*  How 
could  I  fly  ?  Could  I  abandon  that  good  Frenchman, 
the  Hurons  already  captive,  and  those  that  would  eventu- 
ally be  also  taken,  some  of  them  not  yet  baptized  ?"  He 
wavered  not,  and  looking  upon  it  as  providential  that  a 
chance  was  offered  him  to  devote  himself  to  the  service 
of  God  and  the  salvation  of  the  poor  Huron  prisoners, 
he  resolved  to  brave  all  the  tortures  of  the  Iroquois 
rather  than  abandon  his  neophytes  to  the  fires  of  hell. 
The  good  shepherd  gave  his  life  for  his  sheep. 

He  accordingly  arose,  and  calling  to  one  of  the  guard 
placed  over  the  prisoners,  he  cried:  "Know  that  I  am 
their  fellow-traveller,  and  it  is  proper  that  I  should 
share  their  captivity.  You  can  take  hold  of  me;  with 
all  my  heart  I  wish  to  partake  their  destiny."  The  Iro- 
quois, fearing  an  ambush,  dared  not  approach  him.  He 
could  not  credit  such  noble  devotedness  and  such  a  proof 
of  friendship;  but  assured  by  the  manner  of  the  servant 
of  God,  and  seeing  no  one  near  him,  he  came  forward. 
"  He  took  me  by  the  arms,"  writes  Father  Jogues,  "  and 
placed  me  with  those  whom  the  world  calls  unfortunate. 
I  embraced  Rene  most  affectionately,  and  said  to  him, 
*  O  my  brother,  God's  intention  in  our  regard  is  myster- 
ious; but  He  is  the  Lord:  let  Him  do  what  is  good  in  His 
sight  (i  Kings  iii.  i8).  As  it  hath  pleased  the  Lord, 
so  it  is  done;  blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord  forever." 
(Job  i.  21.) 

The  youth  threw  himself  on  his  knees,  made  his  con- 
fession, and  offered  his  life  to  God.  Profiting  by  the  last 
moments  of  freedom,  the  missionary  gave  his  final  in- 

*  Indians  require  all  to  enter  the  canoes  barefooted,  so  as  to  bring 
in  no  earth  or  sand. 


He  gives  himself  up.  75 

struction  to  the  catechumens,  and  baptized  them.  This 
occupation  and  administering  other  sacraments  did  not 
cease,  as  from  time  to  time  other  fugitives  were  brought 
to  the  camp.  How  consoled  the  poor  souls  felt  to  fmd 
their  Father  again  !  Captivity,  tortures,  and  death 
ceased  to  be  a  terror. 

The  loss  of  a  convoy  which  carried  the  supplies  for 
the  Huron  Mission  for  a  whole  year  was  irreparable. 
The  missionaries  there  were  deprived  of  what  was  most 
indispensable  for  the  very  necessaries  of  life.  ''  But  God 
gives  us  comfort,"  writes  one  of  these  apostolic  laborers, 
"  for  it  aids  our  spiritual  progress,  which  is  the  only  al- 
lurement to  bring  us  here.  Faith  makes  notable  prog- 
ress among  our  Hurons.  Had  this  fleet  of  Huron 
Christians  and  catechumens  arrived  safely,  as  we  ex- 
pected, the  conversion  of  the  country  seemed  almost 
certain.  It  is  one  of  the  secrets  to  be  revealed  only  in 
eternity.  But  would  you  believe  that  we  never  roused 
better  courage,  both  for  temporals  and  spirituals,  than 
since  the  capture  of  Father  Jogues  and  our  Hurons  ?  I 
see  these  tribes  more  disposed  than  ever  for  a  complete 
conversion." 


76  jLife  of  Fathei^  Jogtces. 


CHAPTER   VL 

Sufferings  and   Resignation  of  the   Missionary — Execution  of 
Three  Hurons — A  Christian  and  Generous  Death, 

'HE  chief  Eustace  left  the  field  the  last  of  all,  and, 
\S  cutting  his  way  through  the  heart  of  the  enem}^, 
^  plunged  into  the  woods.  But,  finding  that  the 
missionary  did  not  follow  him,  he  reproached  himself  for 
his  flight,  and  could  not  bear  to  be  separated  from  him. 
Recalling  to  mind  the  pledge  of  never  quitting  his  side, 
he  preferred  to  give  himself  up  to  his  executioners  rather 
than  break  his  word.  He  turned  back  to  seek  him,  but 
found  him  only  by  sharing  his  bonds.  He  unconsciously 
only  followed  the  example  of  his  guide  and  pattern.  *'  O 
my  Father  !"  he  cried,  falling  into  his  arms;  "  I  swore  to 
thee  that  I  would  live  and  die  at  thy  side;  here  we  are 
together  again!"  The  missionary  pressed  him  to  his 
heart,  and  bathed  him  in  his  tears.  "  I  do  not  know 
what  reply  I  made  to  that  touching  greeting:  I  was  so 
affected,  and  my  soul  so  oppressed  with  grief,"  wrote 
Father  Jogues. 

William  Couture,  another  Frenchman,  had  also  stood 
the  first  shock  gallantly.  But,  carried  on  by  the  Hurons 
who  sought  safety  in  flight,  he  dashed  Avith  them  into  the 
adjoining  forest.  Young  and  fleet  of  foot,  he  was  soon 
out  of  gunshot  and  in  a  safe  spot.  Then  his  heart  was 
torn  with  remorse.  He  could  not  forgive  himself  for 
having  abandoned  his  beloved  Father  and  left  him  to 
the  rage  of  the  savages.  He  halted,  hesitating  whether 
to  return  or  keep  on  his  flight.  His  better  nature  pre- 
vailed, and   he   resolved    to    strike  a   blow   to  save   his 


Couture  s  Captitre,  "]"J 

brethren  or  share  their  fate.     As  he  turned  back  he  came 
upon  five  Iroquois. 

One  of  them  aimed  at  liim,  but  the  gun  flashed  in  the 
pan.  William  fired,  and  laid  his  antagonist  dead  on  the 
spot.  He  was  a  chiefs  The  other  four  rushed  upon 
him  like  furies  from  hell,  tore  off  his  clothing,  beat  him 
with  clubs,  tore  out  his  nails,  and  chewed  his  fingers 
with  their  teeth  ;  then  they  drove  a  sword  through  the 
hand  that  had  fired  the  fatal  shot.  The  brave  young 
man  bore  it  all  with  admirable  patience.  He  even  bore 
his  last  wound  with  joy,  thinking  of  our  Saviour's 
wounds,  as  he  afterwards  avowed  to  Father  Jogues. 
"Would  to  God,"  exclaims  the  missionary,  ''that  he 
had  escaped,  and  not  come  to  swell  our  wretched  num- 
ber !  In  such  cases  it  is  no  comfort  to  have  companions 
in  your  misery,  especially  those  you  love  as  yourself. 
But  such  are  the  men  who,  though  seculars,  and  with 
no  motive  of  earthly  interest,  devote  themselves  to  the 
service  of  God  and  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  in  the  Huron 
Mission." 

Meanwhile  the  Mohawks  bound  their  prisoner,  and, 
proud  of  having  a  Frenchman  in  their  hands,  placed 
him  with  the  other  prisoners. 

"The  moment  I  saw  him,"  continues  Father  Jogues, 
"bound  and  stripped  of  all  clothing,  I  could  not  con- 
tain myself,  and,  leaving  my  guards,  I  made  my  way 
through  the  warriors  who  surrounded  him,  and  throw- 
ing my  arms  around  his  neck,  I  cried:  'Ah!  courage, 
my  dear  William;  courage,  my  dear  brother!  I  love 
you  now  more  than  ever,  for  God  in  His  goodness  has 
made  you  worthy  to  suffer  for  His  holy  name.  Let  not 
these  first  sufferings  and  torments  shake  your  constancy. 
Terrible  will  be  the  tortures,  but  they  will  not  last  long, 
and  a  glory  without  end  will  soon  follow.'  Couture 
was  deeply  moved  at  these  words,  broken  by  sobs,  and 
replied,  'My  Father,  fear  not:  the  goodness  of  God  has 
granted  me  too  many  graces.     I  deserve  it  not,  and  far 


78  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

less  than  all  do  I  deserve  the  firmness  and  courage  I  feel 
in  my  heart.  I  trust  He  who  gave  it  to  me  will  not  with- 
draw it '  "  (MSS.  of  Father  Buteux). 

These  manifestations  of  fraternal  love  were  a  matter 
of  wonder  to  the  Indians,  and  aj:  first  a  feeling  of  mercy 
even  sprang  up  in  their  hearts;  but  then,  unable  to 
credit  feelings  so  unlike  their  own,  they  imagined  that 
the  missionary  was  congratulating  the  young  man  on  his 
exploit  in  killing  one  of  their  chiefs.  They  accordingly 
rushed  upon  the  man  of  God,  stripped  him  of  all  his 
clothes,  except  his  shirt,  and  discharged  upon  him  a 
volley  of  blows  with  fists,  sticks,  and  war-clubs.  Father 
Jogues  fell  to  the  ground  insensible.  He  was  just  com- 
ing to,  when  two  young  braves,  who  had  not  been  there 
to  take  part  in  the  first  onslaught,  sprang  at  him  like 
two  wild  beasts,  tore  out  his  nails  with  their  teeth,  and 
crunched  the  two  forefingers  until  they  had  completely 
crushed  the  bones  of  the  last  joint. 

Good  Rene  Goupil  was  treated  with  the  same  cruelty. 
Thus  the  Indians  retaliated  on  the  French  for  having 
rejected  their  terms  of  peace  the  year  before;  yet  these 
acts  of  ferocity  were  but  preliminaries  of  what  was  to 
follow.  As  soon  as  all  the  warriors  who  had  been  in  pur- 
suit of  the  fugitives  had  reassembled,  the  whole  band 
hastened  to  recross  the  river  with  their  captives,  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Iroquois."^  There  they  felt  more  secure, 
and  halted  to  divide  the  spoils.  It  was  a  large  booty. 
Besides  what  each  Frenchman  carried  as  his  own,  there 
were  twenty  packages  of  church  articles,  vestments, 
books,  and  other  things  for  the  missionaries.  Valuable 
as  this  treasure  was  for  the  Mission,  it  was  almost  worth- 
less to  the  Indians;  but  these  articles  had  the  great  at- 
traction of  novelty,  and  they  were  proud  of  having 
taken  them  from  the  French.     As  they  displayed  article 

*  Now  called  the  Richelieu  or  Sorel,  the  outlet  of  Lake  Champlain 
into  the  St.  Lawrence. 


The  liid/a/is  divide  the  Spoils.  79 

after  article,  they  gave  vent  to  their  joy  in  shouts,  and 
their  attention  seemed  riveted  in  their  treasures.  Their 
distribution  gave  some  respite  to  the  prisoners,  and 
Father  Jogues  improved  it  to  console  and  encourage 
them,  while  affording  the  succors  of  religion.  There 
were  twenty-three  of  them. 

Before  leaving  this  shore,  the  Iroquois,  after  their 
wont,  cut  on  the  bark  of  trees  a  record  of  this  their  im- 
portant exploit.  By  the  aid  of  rude  hieroglyphical  marks 
they  recorded  their  victory,  and  the  number  and  qual- 
ity of  their  captives.  It  was  easy  to  distinguish  Father 
Jogues  from  the  rest.  The  Christians,  \yho  shortly  after 
discovered  this  sad  record,  wished  to  perpetuate  and  hal- 
low its  remembrance.  They  raised  a  cross  on  the  spot. 
It  was  proper  that  the  sign  of  redemption  should  mark 
the  way  of  the  heroes  of  Faith. 

After  the  booty  had  been  divided  the  enemy  made 
ready  to  enter  their  canoes  with  their  prisoners,  and  re- 
turn to  their  country.  At  the  very  moment  of  entering 
the  canoes,  Ondouterraon,  an  old  man  of  fourscore, 
whom  the  missionary  had  just  baptized,  cried  aloud, 
"At  my  age  one  does  not  care  to  visit  foreign  countries, 
and  one  cannot  adapt  himself  to  new  ways  of  life.  If 
you  wish  to  put  me  to  death,  why  not  do  so  now  ?"  No 
sooner  said  than  done:  a  blow  from  a  tomahawk  at  once 
laid  him  low. 

The  Iroquois  started  at  last,  and  after  ascending  the 
river  which  bears  their  name,  entered  Lake  Champlain,* 

*  Named  after  the  illustrious  Champlain,who  discovered  it  in  1609, 
and  defeated  the  Iroquois  on  its  banks.  Its  Indian  names  were  Pata- 
wabouquc — alternation  of  water  and  land,  alluding  to  the  great  many 
islands  and  points;  and  Canadieri  guaruiite,  the  lips  or  door  of  the 
country.  It  was  indeed  the  path  from  the  valley  of  the  Hudson  to 
that  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  It  was  sometimes  called  Lake  Corlaer,  from 
Arendt  van  Corlaer,  commandant  at  Schenectady,  who  in  1650  saved 
a  Canadian  war-party  from  the  fury  of  the  Iroquois.  He  was  drowned 
in  the  lake  while  on  his  way  to  visit  the  Governor  of  Canada.     Lake 


8o  Life  of  Father  Jogties. 

to  cross  it  from  end  to  end.  The  voyage  proved  the  oc- 
casion of  increased  torture  to  the  prisoners.  They  often 
spent  days  without  food,  and  nights  without  sleep. 
Hunger,  heat,  festering  wounds  swarming  with  vermin 
and  uncovered,  the  sting  of  clouds  of  mosquitoes,  ren- 
dered their  situation  terribly  painful.  At  times,  whilst 
bound  at  the  bottom  of  the  canoes  or  tethered  to  pick- 
ets, unable  to  snatch  a  moment  of  rest,  their  savage 
keepers,  especially  young  braves,  would  steal  up  and 
amuse  themselves  by  irritating  and  exasperating  the 
wounds  of  the  fingers  or  the  most  sensitive  parts  of  the 
person,  digging  their  long  and  sharp  nails  into  them  or 
pricking  them  with  awls.  Tliey  delighted  especially  to 
torment  the  servant  of  God  by  plucking  out  his  beard  and 
hair.  But  his  interior  tortures  were  even  more  acute 
than  those  he  suffered  in  body.  "  My  heart  suffered  even 
more,"  wrote  Father  Jogues,  "  wlien  I  beheld  that  band 
of  Christians,  among  whom  I  saw  five  old  converts,  the 
mainstay  of  the  rising  church  of  the  Hurons.  More  than 
once  I  acknowledge  I  could  not  withhold  my  tears.  I 
was  afflicted  at  their  lot,  and  that  of  my  other  compan- 
ions, and  I  was  full  of  forebodings  for  the  future.  In  fact, 
I  foresaw  that  the  Iroquois  were  raising  a  barrier  to  the 
progress  of  Faith  among  a  great  number  of  other  tribes, 
unless  there  came  a  very  special  interposition  of  Divine 
Providence."  Yet  Father  Jogues'  only  consolation  amid 
so  many  afflictions  was  to  see  the  heroic  resolve  of  his 
companions,  and  to  be  able  to  comfort  them  by  his  chari- 
table counsels.  They  needed  them  indeed  for  they  were 
only  at  the  beginning  of  their  trials. 

On  the  eighth  da}?^  of  their  march,  they  met  two  Iro- 
quois runners,  who  brought  the  news  that,  at  one  day's 
distance,  two  hundred  Iroquois  out  on  the  war-path,  were 


Champlain  from  St.  John's  to  Whitehall  is  about  sixty-five  miles  long 
and  about  ten  wide.  Many  spots  on  its  banks  are  famous  for  opera- 
tions in  the  Old  French  War  and  the  Revolution. 


The  Island  To7'ture.  8i 

encamped  on  an  island.  The  victorious  parly  made  all 
haste  to  reach  them,  and  the  captives  knew  at  once  what 
was  in  store  for  them.  It  is  worth  noticing  that  it  is  an  in- 
stinct with  the  savages  that  they  must  nerve  themselves 
for  war  by  acts  of  cruelty,  and  that  ill-treatment  of  pris- 
oners is  an  omen  of  success.  Facts  will  afford  a  melan- 
choly proof  of  the  power  of  this  fanatical  idea. 

When  the  Indians  descried  the  captives  they  raised 
yells  of  joy,  and  began  to  thank  the  Sun,  who  is 
their  god  of  war,  for  his  delivering  their  foes  into  the 
hands  of  their  countrymen,  and  they  discharged  a  volley 
from  their  fire-arms.  A  platform  was  soon  set  up  on  a 
neighboring  hill,  and  each  man  cut  in  the  woods  a  club 
or  thorny  branch,  according  to  his  fancy,  in  order  to  re- 
ceive the  prisoners  in  a  proper  manner. 

Before  landing,  and  entering  the  double  file  of  execu- 
tioners lining  the  way  from  the  shore  to  the  platform, 
the  victims  were  stripped  of  all  their  clothes.  The  mis- 
sionary was  the  last  to  land,  that,  being  alone  and  walk- 
ing slowly,  he  might  offer  a  surer  mark  for  their 
blows. 

We  will  let  Father  Jogues  himself  describe  this  horri- 
ble scene:  "  They  showered  blows  on  us  so  that  I  fell 
under  their  number  and  cruelty,  on  the  rocky  path  lead- 
ing to  the  hill.  I  thought  that  I  must  surely  die  under  this 
frightful  torture.  Either  from  weakness  or  cowardice,  I 
could  not  rise.  God  alone,  for  whose  love  and  glory  it 
is  sweet  and  glorious  to  suffer  thus,  knows  how  long  and 
how  savagely  they  beat  me.  A  cruel  compassion  prompt- 
ed them  to  stop,  that  I  might  be  taken  to  their  country 
alive.  They  carried  me  to  the  platform  half  dead,  and 
streaming  with  blood.  The  moment  they  saw  me  revive 
a  little,  they  made  me  come  down,  and  overwhelmed  me 
with  insults  and  imprecations,  and  again  showered  blows 
on  my  head,  back,  and  all  over  my  body.  I  would 
never  end  were  I  to  tell  all  we  Frenchmen  had  to  en- 
dure.    They  burned  one  of  my  fingers,  and  crushed  an- 


82  Life  of  Father  Jogties. 

other  with  their  teeth.  Those  that  had  been  crushed 
before  were  now  so  violently  twisted  that  they  have 
remained  horribly  deformed,  even  since  they  healed. 
My  companions  shared  the  same  treatment. 

"But  God  showed  us  that  He  had  us  in  His  care,  and 
that  He  wished  not  to  discourage  but  to  try  us.  In  fact, 
one  of  the  Indians,  who  seemed  not  to  be  sated  witli 
cruelty  and  blood,  came  up  to  me  wlien  I  could  hardly 
stand  on  my  feet,  and  taking  hold  of  my  nose  with  one 
hand  prepared  to  cut  it  off  with  a  large  knife  he  held  in 
the  other.  What  could  I  do?  Satisfied  that  I  would  soon 
be  burned  at  a  slow  fire,  I  waited  the  blow  without  flinch- 
ing, only  in  my  heart  offering  a  prayer  to  Heaven;  but  a 
secret  force  held  him  back,  and  he  let  go.  In  less  than 
fifteen  minutes  he  returned,  as  if  ashamed  of  his  weakness 
and  cowardice,  and  again  prepared  to  carry  out  his 
design.  Again  an  invisible  power  repelled  him,  and  he 
slunk  away.  Had  he  proceeded  in  his  attempt  I  should 
have  been  put  to  death  immediately.  Indians  never  let 
a  prisoner  so  mutilated  live  long  "  (MSS.,  1652). 

When  relating  this  episode  of  his  tortures  to  Father 
Buteux,  the  man  of  God  added,  that  far  from  alarming 
him,  the  savage  appeared  to  him  rather  an  instrument  of 
justice  and  mercy  of  God,  and  from  his  heart  he  ex- 
claimed, "  Lord,  take  my  nose,  and  my  head  also  !" 

The  Huron  who  suffered  most  was  the  brave  and  fer- 
vent Eustace.  His  executioners  cut  off  his  two  thumbs, 
and  through  the  wound  of  his  left  hand  they  drove  a 
sharp  stick  up  to  the  elbow.  He  endured  it  all  like  a 
true  Christian  hero;  but  Father  Jogues,  who  had  been 
unmoved  by  his  own  tortures,  wept  at  the  sight  of  the 
sufferings  of  his  child.  The  intrepid  convert  saw  the 
tears,  and  addressing  his  torturers,  said,  "Do  not  think 
that  these  are  tears  of  weakness.  No:  it  is  no  lack  of 
courage  that  makes  them  flow,  but  his  love  and  affection 
for  me.  You  saw  him  shed  no  tears  for  his  own  suffer- 
ings."     The  missionary,  deeply  affected,   replied,   "  In- 


The  Journey  Continued.  S 


o 


deed  your  sufferings  I  feel  more  than  I  did  mine;  and,  in 
spite  of  my  wounds,  my  body  suffers  even  less  than  my 
heart.  Courage,  my  poor  brother:  forget  not  that  there 
is  another  life  ;  God  sees  all,  and  He  will  reward  us  one 
day  for  what  we  have  suffered  for  His  sake."  "I  know 
it  well,  and  I  shall  hold  steadfast  until  death,"  answered 
Eustace;  and  truly  the  disciple,  worthy  of  his  Master, 
was  a  prodigy  of  patience,  resignation,  and  intrepidity. 

The  Indians  spent  only  one  night  on  the  island.  They 
resumed  their  journey  the  next  day — one  party  towards 
the  St.  Lawrence,  and  others  for  the  Iroquois  towns. 
The  latter  met  other  bands  of  warriors  proceeding  to 
attack  the  French,  and  the  unfortunate  prisoners  on 
every  occasion  paid  the  tribute  of  their  blood.  The 
melancholy  and  bloody  convoy  continued  until  they 
reached  Point  Ticonderoga,  called  by  the  French  Caril- 
lon, and  well  known  for  a  glorious  victory  of  Montcalm. 
It  was  a  stopping-place  never  passed  by  the  Indians. 
Here  they  landed  to  gather  flints,  which  abound  on  the 
shores,  and  to  perform  one  of  their  superstitious  rites,  by 
throwing  bits  of  tobacco  into  the  waters  in  order  to  pro- 
pitiate a  nation  of  invisible  people  who  dwell  there,  and 
prepare  the  flints  for  the  benefit  of  travellers,  who  are 
expected  to  repay  them  in  tobacco.  Should  the  offer  be 
niggardly  their  anger  is  roused:  they  excite  the  waves 
and  cause  shipwrecks.  A  superstitious  belief  so  like  the 
traditions  of  ancient  Paganism,  must  have  originated  in 
the  fact  that  in  consequence  of  the  strong  winds  prevail- 
ing at  that  place  wrecks  frequently  occur.  Father  Jogues 
could  only  lament  such  blind  credulity.  He  did  not 
know  their  language  well  enough  to  disabuse  them;  but 
he  fervently  prayed  that  the  light  of  faith  might  come  to 
scatter  such  dense  darkness. 

One  day  more  enabled  the  Iroquois  to  reach  the  southern 
point  of  Lake  George.  It  was  the  loth  of  August.  There 
remained  still  four  days*  march  on  land  to  reach  the  first 
Iroquois  town.     The  great  heat  and  the  pitiable  condi- 


84  Life  of  Father  Jog2tes. 

tion  of  the  prisoners  made  the  passage  extremely  painful, 
as  they  were  forced  to  carry  the  heaviest  part  of  the  bag- 
gage. Heedless  of  the  Father's  weakness  and  weariness, 
Father  Jogues'  keeper  put  part  of  his  burthen  on  his 
bleeding  and  mangled  shoulders.  Yet  with  sentiments 
of  admirable  charity  and  humanity  he  remarks  :  "  How- 
ever, they  spared  me  somewhat,  either  because  of  my 
feebleness  or  because  I  did  not  seem  to  mind  it  much 
— so  great  was  my  pride  even  in  captivity  and  in  the 
presence  of  death  !" 

The  hardship  of  this  march  was  rendered  even  more 
intense  by  the  want  of  all  food  ;  their  provisions  being 
exhausted,  they  lived  on  berries  gathered  in  the  woods. 
On  the  second  day  the  captives  hoped  for  some  relief. 
Fires  were  lighted  where  they  encamped,  and  the  pots 
were  made  ready.     They  thought  a  hunter  had  brought 
in  some  game  that  was  to  be  cooked.     Vain  hope  !     To 
quiet  their  hunger  the  Indians  swallowed  large  draughts 
of   lukewarm   water.      They  lay  down   supperless,   and 
next  morning  they  resumed  their  march  fasting.    Hunger 
made  the  Indians  push  on  rapidly;  but  the  French,  ex- 
hausted by  their  sufferings,  slackened  their  steps  in  spite 
of  themselves.     Towards  night.  Father  Jogues,  lagging 
behind  at  some  distance  alone  with  Rene  Goupil,  advised 
him  to  hide  in  the  forest  and  escape  from  the  savages. 
"But  you,  my  Father — what  will  become  of  you?"  said 
the  pious  young  man.     "For  my  part,"  replied  the  mis- 
sionary, "I  cannot  do  it:   I  will  rather  suffer  everything 
than  leave  so  near  death  those  whom  I  can  at  least  con- 
sole and  nourish  with   the  blood  of  Christ  in  the  sacra- 
ments of  the  Church."    *'  Then  allow  me  to  die  with  you, 
my  Father,"  replied  pious  Rene;   "for  I  cannot  desert 
you."      A    young    brave,  noticing    their  slow   progress, 
waited,  and  reproving  them  as  sluggards,  ordered  them 
to  take  off  their  trousers;  and  thus  they  had  to  continue 
their  march  in  their  shirts  and  drawers. 

The  convoy  soon  reached  a  small  river  called  Oiogue, 


The  Mohawk  Cotmtry.  85 

which  means  Beautiful  River,  and  had  to  cross  it.  The 
current  was  not  very  rapid,  but  the  water  was  deep;  the 
Indians  plunged  into  it  at  once,  and  forced  Father  Jogues 
along,  without  caring  whether  he  could  swim;  luckily 
he  could,  or  he  would  certainly  have  drowned  (MSS., 
Father  Buteux). 

Before  following  Father  Jogues  to  the  towns  of  the 
Agniers  (called  Maquaas  by  the  Dutch  and  Mohawks 
by  the  English),  let  us  say  something  of  their  geo- 
graphical position,  and  of  their  towns.  It  was  the  first 
Iroquois  canton.  On  the  north  the  French  were  their 
neighbors,  and  the  Dutch  on  the  south.  Their  villages 
were  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river  Mohawk. 
They  had  three  main  towns,  and  sometimes  a  fourth;  but 
changes  of  name  and  position  have  led  to  much  confu- 
sion in  history. 

The  first  town  on  the  east  was  over  thirty  miles  from 
Rensselaerswyck  (now  Albany).  It  was  called  OsserioUj 
Osser/ienon,  or  Oneougioure,  and  lastly  Holy  Trifiity — the 
name  given  it  by  Father  Jogues.  Later  it  became 
Cahittaga,  Gandawague,  Caitghnawaga,  or  simply  Anie^ 
and  lastly  in  16']^  Saint  Fete?-' s.  It  was  inclosed  within 
two  palisades,  and  contained  about  twenty-four  large 
cabins,  which  gives  about  six  hundred  inhabitants.  The 
second  town,  Aimdagaro  or  Gandagaron,  was  about  six 
miles  farther  up.  The  third,  the  largest  of  all,  Tionnon- 
toguen  or  Tioniiontego,  was  about  eleven  miles  farther 
west.     This  town  was  eventually  called  St.  Marys* 

At  last,  after  thirteen  days' f  march,  on  the  eve  of  the 

*  Not  to  confuse  the  reader,  we  have  here  substituted  the  results  of 
the  careful  exploration  made  of  these  town  sites  by  Gen.  John  S. 
Clark.  Ossernenon  is  near  the  present  station  of  Auriesville,  in 
Montgomery  County;  Tionnontoguen  on  a  hill  just  south  of  Spraker's 
Basin,  about  sixteen  miles  west  of  Ossernenon;  Andagaron,  between 
them,  and,  like  them,  on  the  south  side  of  the  river. 

f  Father  Bressani  in  his  "  Breve  Relatione,"  and  Father  Alegambe 
in  his  "  Mortes  Illustres,"  say  eighteen  days,  and  Charlevoix  four 


86  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

Assumption  of  Our  Lady,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, our  travellers  reached  the  bank  of  the  second  river, 
three  quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  village  called  Osser- 
nenon. 

Their  usual  signals,  given  from  a  distance  by  blow- 
ing into  large  conch-shells  pierced  at  the  end,  had  been 
heard,  and  the  people  in  a  mass  swarmed  to  the  shores 
to  receive  the  prisoners.  Every  man,  woman,  and  child 
rushed  down,  armed  with  sticks  or  iron  rods.  "  I  had 
always  thought,"  remarks  the  missionary,  "  that  this  day 
of  so  much  rejoicing  in  heaven  would  prove  unto  us  a 
day  of  suffering,  and  I  was  therefore  thankful  to  my 
Saviour  Jesus,  for  the  joys  of  heaven  are  purchased  only 
by  partaking  of  His  sufferings."  The  captives  were  wel- 
comed by  a  shower  of  blows.  But  as  the  Indians  hate  a 
bald-head  above  all,  Father  Jogues'  drew  upon  himself 
the  largest  amount  of  cruel  treatment:  his  flesh  was 
hacked  or  torn  with  nails  to  the  very  bone. 

An  old  Huron,  who  had  formerly  been  taken  prisoner, 
but  set  free,  seeing  them,  cried  out,  ''Frenchmen,  you 
are  lost;  there  is  no  hope  for  you.  Prepare  to  die;  the 
stakes  are  ready;  you  will  be  burned."  A  natural  feel- 
ing of  compassion  for  his  countrymen  prompted  him  to 
reveal  to  them  and  their  allies  the  fate  in  store  for  them. 
But  even  some  Iroquois  seemed  moved  to  pity  their  lot 
on  beholding  them  reeking  with  blood.  Hardened  as 
he  was,  the  savage  owner  of  the  missionary  approached, 
and  wiping  the  blood  from  his  face,  said,  "  Brother, 
what  a  wretched  state  you  are  in!"  Whether  true  or 
feigned,  this  trait  of  compassion  was  accepted  by  the 
martyr  as  a  gift  from  heaven. 

Meanwhile  the  Indians  had  crossed  the  river,  but  be- 
fore clmibing  the  hill  on  which  the  village  stood,  they 
halted  a  moment  to   thank   the  Sun  for  their   prosper- 

weeks  ;  but  Father  Jogues'  narrative  corrects  the  error,  which  does 
not  appear  in  the  Relation  of  1646-47,  or  in  the  precious  Manuscript 
of  1652. 


Fie  enters  Ossernenon.  87 

ous  expedition  and  rich  booty.  Then  the  lugubrious 
triumphal  march  was  marshalled. 

At  the  he^id  of  the  line  strode  Couture,  for  he  was  the 
most  guilty,  having  slain  a  distinguished  chief.  After 
him  followed  the  Hurons,  at  equal  distances  from  each 
other — Goupil  in  the  centre.  Father  Jogues  closed  the 
line. 

Some  of  the  Iroquois  were  stationed  at  intervals  to  check 
the  speed  of  the  prisoners,  and  afford  the  executioners, 
who  lined  the  path,  every  opportunity  to  deal  their  blows 
effectually.  Then  one  of  the  chieftains  addressed  the 
young  braves,  and  told  them  how  they  should  give  a 
hearty  welcome  to  the  prisoners.  It  was  one  of  the 
ironically  cruel  expressions  in  vogue  for  the  savage  re- 
ception of  captives. 

"On  beholding  these  preliminaries,  so  forcibly  remind- 
ing us  of  the  Passion,"  says  Father  Jogues,  "we  recalled 
the  words  of  St.  Augustine,  'Whoso  shrinks  from  the 
number  of  the  scourged,  forfeits  his  right  to  be  num- 
bered among  the  children' — Qui  eximit  se  a  numcro  flagella- 
torum,  eximit  se  a  mimero  filioruin.  We  therefore  offered 
ourselves  with  our  whole  heart  to  the  fatherly  care  of 
God,  as  victims  immolated  to  His  good  pleasure  and  to 
His  loving  displeasure  for  the  salvation  of  these  tribes." 
At  a  given  signal,  the  procession  started  on  this  "  narrow 
path  of  heaven,"  as  the  saintly  missioner  calls  it.  At  the 
same  time  all  arms  were  raised  and  swung  in  the  air, 
and  a  shower  of  blows  descended  on  the  victims.  Father 
Jogues  seemed  to  behold  his  Saviour  scourged  at  the  Pil- 
lar, and  with  David  exclaimed,  "  The  wicked  have  wrought 
upon  my  back  :  they  have  lengthened  their  iniquity"  (Ps. 
cxxviii.  3). 

Good  Rene,  horribly  mangled  and  covered  with  blood, 
fell  exhausted — not  a  spot  of  white  was  visible  in  his 
countenance  except  his  eyes.  He  had  no  strength  to  as- 
cend the  platform,  and  was  dragged  up  to  it.  "  In  this 
condition,"  adds  Father  Jogues,  "  he  was   all   the  more 


88  ^{/^  of  Father  Jogues. 

beautiful  in  our  eyes,  because  he  resembled  him  of 
whom  it  is  written,  "  We  have  thought  him  as  it  were  a 
leper,  and  as  one  struck  by  God;".  .  .  .  ''there  is  no 
beauty  in  him,  nor  comeliness"  (Isaias  liii.  4,  2). 

But  there  was  something  more  in  store  for  the  heroic 
Father  to  endure.  An  iron  ball,  weighing  more  than 
two  pounds,  fastened  to  a  sling,  was  hurled  at  him,  and 
struck  him  in  the  middle  of  the  back.  He  fell  on  the 
spot  as  though  dead;  but  soon  recovering  his  breath  and 
summoning  all  his  strength,  he  rose  bravely  and  reached 
the  platform. 

When  the  prisoners  had  all  reached  this  horrible  stage, 
which  was  to  be  so  glorious  for  them,  they  were  allowed 
a-  moment's  respite;  but  it  was  not  long  before  one  of 
the  chiefs  in  a  loud  voice  called  upon  the  young 
braves  to  caress  the  Frenchmen;  for  "  they  are  traitors," 
he  continued:  "they  have  broken  their  promises;  they 
have  slaughtered  our  Iroquois."  At  this,  an  Indian 
armed  with  a  stout  club  ascended  the  platform,  and  de- 
liberately dealt  three  blows  on  the  back  of  the  French- 
men, but  perceiving  that  the  missionary  had  yet  three 
nails  left,  he  tore  them  out  with  his  teeth.  Tlien  the  sav- 
ages, armed  with  knives,  fell  upon  the  captives  to  cut  off 
their  fingers,  or  slices  of  their  flesh.  As  their  cruelty  is 
gauged  by  the  importance  of  the  victim,  they  treated  the 
missionary  as  a  chief  by  subjecting  him  to  greater  tor- 
tures than  the  rest.  The  respect  paid  him  by  his  compan- 
ions won  him  this  distinction.  Soon  after  an  aged  man, 
a  famous  magician  of  the  land,  and  a  bitter  enemy  of  the 
French,  ascended  the  platform,  followed  by  Jane,  an  Al- 
gonquin Christian  woman,  captured  two  months  before. 
He  ordered  her  to  cut  off  Father  Jogues'  left  thumb; 
"for,"  he  added,  "I  hate  him  the  most."  Three  times 
did  the  wretched  woman  recoil  with  horror;  at  last,  un- 
der threat  of  losing  her  life,  she  obeyed.  With  trem- 
blino-  hand,  sick  at  heart,  she  cut  or  rather  sawed  off 
the  thumb  at  its  root  and  threw  it  down.     The  man  of 


His  tJucinb  cut  off.  89 

God  did  not  utter  a  sigh.  "I  picked  up  the  amput^ited 
member,"  says  he,  **  and  I  presented  it  to  Thee,  living  and 
true  God,  in  remembrance  of  the  sacrifices  which  for  tlie 
last  seven  years  I  had  offered  on  the  altars  of  thy  Church, 
and  as  an  atonement  for  the  want  of  love  and  reverence 
of  wdiich  I  had  been  guilty  in  touching  thy  Holy  Body." 
But  Couture,  perceiving  tliis,  warned  the  missionary 
that  if  the  Iroquois  observed  him,  they  might  force  him 
to  eat  the  bloody  thumb,  lie  hastily  threw  it  far  away. 

"  I  bless  the  Lord,"  adds  Father  Jogues,  "  that  he 
vouchsafed  to  leave  me  the  right  thumb,  tliat  by  this 
letter  I  may  beseech  my  Reverend  Fathers  and  my 
Brothers  to  offer  their  holy  sacrifices,  their  prayers,  their 
good  works,  and  their  devotions  in  God's  holy  Church, 
to  which  we  have  by  two  new  titles  become  dear,  for  she 
always  prays  for  the  afflicted  and  for  prisoners." 

Rene  Goupil  endured  the  same  torture.  They  cut  off 
the  thumb  of  his  riglit  liand  at  the  first  joint  with  an 
oyster-shell;  and  during  this  cruel  operation  he  was 
heard  repeating  aloud  the  sacred  names  of  Jesus,  Mary, 
and  Joseph. 

Blood  flowed  copiously  from  the  wounds,  and  death 
would  soon  have  resulted;  but  an  Indian  perceived  it, 
and  either  from  pity  or  from  a  desire  of  prolonging  the 
parade  with  the  life  of  the  victims,  he  ascended  the  plat- 
form, stanched  the  wounds,  and  tearing  some  shreds  of 
Father  Jogues'  shirt,  he  bandaged  tlie  priest's  and  Gou- 
pil's  thumbs.  This  simple  dressing  sufficed,  and  God 
permitted  it  to  answer  for  better  treatment.  Wliile  the 
missionary  was  receiving  this  care,  a  woman  came  and 
deprived  liim  of  the  shoes  and  the  w^retched  stockings 
that  had  thus  far  been  left  to  him. 

As  night  approached,  the  captives  were  ordered  down 
from  the  platform  and  led  to  a  cabin  for  the  niglit.  The 
Indians,  before  they  betook  themselves  to  rest,  gave  their 
victims  some  roasted  ears  of  corn,  and  some  water  colored 
with  meal.     It  was  very  little  after  such  a  long  fast  and 


90  Life  of  Father  Jogites. 

such  terrible  treatment;  but  there  was  enough  to  keep 
them  alive,  and  afford  their  butchers  the  cruel  hope  of  a 
renewal  of  their  torments. 

But  the  night,  far  from  being  to  the  captives  an  oc- 
casion of  rest,  was  only  the  beginning  of  new  tortures. 
They  spent  it  stretched  on  the  ground,  hands  and  feet 
secured  to  four  stakes  driven  in  the  earth.  In  this  pos- 
ture they  could  not  move,  and  yet  they  were  at  once  as- 
sailed by  swarms  of  insects,  and  the  vermin  which  the 
filthy  habits  of  the  Indians  attract  to  their  cabins  to 
multiply  there.  A  more  painful  torment  was  that  to 
which  they  were  subjected  by  the  Indian  children,  who 
were  allowed  to  approach  the  prisoners  and  begin  on 
them  their  apprenticeship  in  cruelty.  They  evinced  their 
proficiency  only  too  well.  They  amused  themselves  by 
driving  awls  into  the  tenderest  parts  of  the  body,  by 
opening  the  wounds  so  as  to  make  the  blood  flow,  or  by 
throwing  burning  coals  and  hot  cinders  on  the  bodies  of 
the  martyrs,  all  the  while  enjoying  the  useless  efforts  of 
their  victims  to  shake  them  off. 

Proud  of  their  victory,  the  victorious  war-party  took 
pride  in  exhibiting  their  trophies  in  the  other  Mohawk 
towns. 

They  first  led  their  prisoners  to  the  neighboring  vil- 
lage called  Andagaron,  some  five  or  six  miles  off. 
On  the  way  the  man  of  God  had  to  undergo  a  new 
humiliation.     He  thus  relates  it: 

'•My  jailer,  undoubtedly  afraid  that  he  might  lose  the 
chance  of  securing  my  shirt,  took  it  from  me  at 
once.  He  made  me  start  on  my  march  in  this  exposed 
state,  with  nothing  on  me  but  a  pair  of  wretched  old 
drawers.  When  I  beheld  myself  in  this  state,  I  felt 
bold  enough  to  say  to  him,  '  Why  do  you  strip  me  so, 
brother,  when  you  have  already  got  all  the  rest  of  my 
property?'  The  Indian  took  pity  on  me,  and  gave  me  a 
piece  of  coarse  canvas  in  which  my  bundles  had  been 
done  up.     There  was  enough  of  it  to  cover  my  shoulders 


At  AndagaroiL.  91 

and  a  part  of  my  back;  but  my  festering  wounds  could 
not  stand  this  rough,  coarse  texture.  The  sun  was  so 
hot  that  during  the  march,  my  skin  was  baked  as  if  in  an 
oven,  and  peeled  off  from  my  neck  and  arms." 

The  captives  received  the  same  welcome  at  this  village 
as  in  the  former,  and  though  it  is  contrary  to  custom 
to  make  prisoners  run  the  gauntlet  more  thaw  twice, 
they  were  not  spared,  and  a  refinement  of  cruelty  was 
added.  As  the  crowd  was  smaller,  the  executioners 
could  take  better  aim.  They  struck  particularly  the 
shin-bones,  covering  the  legs  with  bruises,  and  causing 
acute  pain.  The  prisoners  remained  two  days  and  two 
nights  in  this  village:  by  day  on  the  pillory,  exposed  to 
every  sort  of  insult  and  ill-treatment;  at  night  in  a 
cabin,  at  the  mercy  of  the  children. 

Let  us  hear  Father  Jogues  relate,  with  beautiful 
candor,  the  feelings  that  then  possessed  his  soul,  and 
which  depict  him  so  clearly  to  us  as  an  apostle  and  a 
martyr:  "My  soul  was  then  in  the  deepest  anguish.  I 
saw  our  enemies  come  up  on  the  platform,  cut  off  the 
fingers  of  my  companions,  tie  cords  around  their  wrists, 
and  all  so  unmercifully  that  they  fainted  away.  I 
suffered  in  their  sufferings,  and  the  yearnings  of  my 
affection  were  those  of  a  most  affectionate  father  wit- 
nessing the  sufferings  of  his  own  children  ;  for,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  old  Christians,  I  had  begotten 
them  all  to  Christ  in  baptism.  However  intense  my 
suffering,  God  granted  me  strength  to  console  the  French 
and  the  Hurons  who  suffered  with  me.  On  the  way,  as 
well  as  on  the  platform,  I  exhorted  them  together  and 
individually  to  bear  with  resignation  and  confidence 
these  torments,  which  have  a  great  reward  (Heb.  x.  35); 
to  remember  that  through  many  tribulations  we  must 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God  (Acts  xiv.  21).  I 
warned  them  that  the  days  foretold  by  our  Saviour  had 
arrived  in  their  behalf:  'Ye  shall  lament  and  weep,  but 
the  world  shall  rejoice.   .  .  .  But  your  sorrow  shall  be 


Q2  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

turned  into  joy  '  (John  xvi.  20).  And  then  again  I  added: 
'  A  woman,  when  she  is  in  labor,  liatli  sorrow^,  because  her 
hour  is  come;  but  when  she  has  brought  forth  the  child, 
she  remembereth  no  more  the  anguish  for  joy  that  a 
man  is  born  into  the  world  '  (John  xvi.  21).  Believe,  then, 
my  children,  that  after  a  few  days  of  suffering  you  shall 
enjoy  everlasting  happiness.  And  surely  it  was  to  me  a 
source  of  great  and  legitimate  consolation  to  see  them 
so  well  prepared,  especially  the  old  Christians — Joseph, 
Eustace,  and  the  two  others.  Theodore  had  escaped 
the  day  we  reached  the  first  town;  but  as  a  ball  had 
shattered  his  shoulder  in  the  fight,  he  died  while  endeav- 
oring to  reach  the  French  settlements." 

The  captives  were  then  led  toTionnontoguen,  the  third 
Mohawk  village,  about  sixteen  miles  from  Ossernenon. 
They  were  there  welcomed  as  in  the  other  villages,  but 
with  less  cruelty.  On  ascending  the  platform  where 
they  were  to  be  exhibited.  Father  Jogues  was  deeply 
grieved  to  find  four  other  Huron  prisoners  already  pre- 
pared for  execution.  These  unhappy  men  were  doomed 
to  death,  but  they  were  pagans;  the  servant  of  God, 
touched  at  their  condition,  endeavored  at  least  to  aid 
them  spiritually.  He  approached  them,  and  succeeded 
in  gaining  their  confidence  by  the  interest  he  took  in  their 
fate.  They  saw  him  forget  his  own  sufferings  to  think 
of  theirs!  On  the  threshold  of  eternity,  they  did  not  re- 
fuse to  hearken  to  words  of  hope.  When  the  missionary 
saw  them  disposed  to  receive  the  word  of  salvation,  he 
gave  a  summary  instruction  on  the  principal  articles 
of  our  faith,  and  with  the  aid  of  a  few  drops  of  water 
which  the  rain  had  left  on  the  leaves  of  corn  given  them 
for  food,  he  baptized  them.  The  other  two,  condemned 
as  they  were  to  perish  in  the  fourth  village,  were 
afterwards  regenerated  in  the  Vv^aters  of  baptism,  w^hile 
crossing  a  stream  on  the  wa}^ 

Such  w^ere   the  consolations  of    faith  which  God   be- 
stowed on  the  apostolic  heart  of  His  servant  and  which 


Htiug  up  in  a  Cabin.     »  93 

supported  his  courage.  He  needed  it  for  this  new  scene  of 
sorrow.  The  temperature  had  changed;  heavy  rains  had 
been  succeeded  by  piercing  cold  winds,  which  made  the 
naked  captives  suffer  intensely,  and  increased  the  pain 
of  their  wounds. 

Good  William  Couture  had  not  yet  lost  any  of  his 
fingers.  An  Indian  undertook  to  repair  the  omission. 
With  the  fragment  of  a  shell,  sharpened  into  a  knife,  he 
sawed  off  one  half  of  his  right  forefinger,  and  as  he 
could  not  cut  the  hard,  tough  sinew,  he  dragged  it  out 
with  such  violence  that  the  arm  swelled  prodigiously  up 
to  the  elbow. 

The  tortures  inflicted  by  the  younger  Indians  at  night 
were  extremely  cruel.  "  Our  executioners,"  adds  Father 
Jogues  with  humility,  ''  first  commanded  us  to  sing,  as  is 
usual  with  captives.  We  undertook  to  sing  the  song  of 
the  Lord  in  a  strange  land  (Ps.  cxxxvi.  4).  Could  we 
singanythingelse  ?  After  the  chant  began  the  torments. 
....  They  suspended  me  by  my  arms,  with  bark  ropes, 
from  two  posts  raised  in  the  centre  of  the  cabin.  I 
thought  they  were  going  to  burn  me,  for  such  is  the  post- 
ure usually  given  to  those  who  are  condemned  to  the 
stake. 

"  To  convince  me  that  if  I  had  suffered  so  far  with 
some  courage  and  patience  I  owed  it  not  to  my  own  vir- 
tue, but  to  Him  'that  giveth  strength  to  the  weary' 
(Isa.  xl.  29),  the  Almighty,  as  it  were,  left  me  then  to 
myself  in  this  new  torment.  I  groaned  for  '  gladly 
will  I  glory  in  my  infirmities,  that  the  power  of  Christ 
may  dwell  in  me'  (2  Cor.  xii.  9),  and  the  excess  of  my 
sufferings  made  me  implore  my  tormentors  to  loosen  the 
cords  a  little.  But  God  justly  permitted  that  the  more 
I  entreated  the  closer  and  tighter  the  bonds  were  drawn. 
After  I  had  suffered  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  they  cut 
the  ropes;  had  they  not  done  so  I  should  have  died.  I 
thank  Thee,  O  my  Lord  Jesus  !  for  having  taught  me  by 
this  little  trial  how  much  Thou  must  have  suffered  on  the 


94  L'^f^  of  FatJier  Jogites. 

the  cross,  when  Thy  most  holy  body  was  so  long  hang- 
ing from  the  cross,  not  by  cords,  but  by  nails  cruelly 
driven  into  Thy  feet  and  hands." 

Father  Jogues  owed  the  relief  from  his  tortures  to  a 
strange  Indian  who  happened  to  come  upon  the  scene. 
He  seemed  affected  by  the  sight,  and  without  uttering  a 
word  approached  the  sufferer  and  cut  the  cords.  No  one 
dared  oppose  him.  The  man  was  rewarded  for  his  chari- 
table act,  as  the  sequel  will  prove.  God,  who  blesses  the 
slightest  service  rendered  to  the  least  of  His  little  ones, 
will  not  forget  what  is  done  for  His  most  faithful  servants, 
and  especially  His  apostolic  men. 

Two  days  were  spent  at  this  village,  and  then  the 
captives  were  brought  back  to  Andagaron,  where  sen- 
tence was  at  last  to  be  pronounced  on  them.  Thus  were 
they  for  seven  days*  marched  from  village  to  village  and 
from  platform  to  platform.'  At  this  place  they  were  told 
that  they  were  to  be  burned  alive  that  very  day. 

''Although  there  is  something  horrible  in  this  mode 
of  death,"  remarks  Father  Jogues,  "  the  thought  of  God's 
will,  and  the  hope  of  a  better  life,  free  from  sin,  allevi- 
ated all  its  rigors.  I  addressed  my  French  and  Huron 
companions  for  the  last  time,  and  exhorted  them  to  per- 
severe to  the  end,  ever  remembering  in  the  midst  of  their 
sufferings  of  body  and  soul  Him  who  had  'endured  such 
opposition  from  sinners  against  Himself,  that  you  be  not 
wearied,  fainting  in  your  minds'  (Heb.  xii.  3).  To- 
morrow we  shall  all  be  united  in  the  bosom  of  God,  to 
reign  eternally." 

Thus  did  Father  Jogues  strengthen  the  captives  by  his 
words,  but  he  did  not  neglect  the  grace  of  the  Sacra- 
ments. He  had  habituated  them  frequently  to  receive 
absolution,  and  to  nourish  their  souls  by  constant  pious 
aspirations  to  heaven.     As  they  feared  that  they  might 

*  Father  Jogues  gives  this  figure  himself.  Charlevoix  ("  Histoire  de 
la  Nouvelle  France,"  i.  p.  238)  has  b)'  an  oversight  put  seven  weeks. 


Eustace  s  Death,  95 

be  separated  from  each  other,  they  had  agreed  among 
themselves  upon  a  certain  sign,  which  meant  *' I  desire 
absolution."  They  were  to  lay  a  hand  on  the  breast  and 
raise  the  eyes  to  heaven. 

Meanwhile  the  sachems  of  the  village  were  dissatis- 
fied at  the  resolution  adopted  by  the  warriors.  They 
insisted  that  no  precipitate  action  should  be  taken,  at 
least  in  regard  to  the  French,  in  hope  that  this  course 
would  make  the  soldiers  of  the  Canadian  colony  less  eager 
in  pursuing  the  Iroquois  warriors.  The  first  sentence 
was  at  last  revoked,  at  least  in  part  :  only  three  Hurons 
were  sentenced  to  die — Eustace  at  Tionnontoguen,  Paul 
at  Ossernenon,  and  Stephen  (whose  Indian  name  history 
has  not  preserved)  at  Andagaron.the  place  where  they 
then  were. 

Eustace  gave  an  admirable  example  of  resignation 
and  courage.  They  applied  fire  to  almost  every  part  of 
his  body,  and  cut  his  throat  with  a  knife.  Father  Jogues 
adds  a  remark  that  savors  of  his  days  spent  in  the  class- 
room :  ''While  Indians  doomed  to  death  usually  give 
way  to  violent  outbursts  of  fury  against  their  execution- 
ers, and  to  the  last  breath  cry,  '■  E:<oriare  aliquis  nostris 
ex  ossibus  ultor ' — May  an  avenger  arise  from  our  bones.* 
Eustace,  prompted  by  the  teachings  of  Christianity, 
conjured  the  Hurons  who  witnessed  his  death  not  to  be 
deterred  by  this  event  from  treating  for  peace  with 
the  Mohawks,  his  persecutors  and  his  murderers.  In- 
deed, his  death  was  an  act  of  forgiveness.  With  Eus- 
tace perished  his  nephew,  a  wonderful  young  man,  who, 
after  his  baptism,  never  ceased  repeating,  '/ .fZ/rt;//  be 
happy  in  heaven.'  He  had  promised  his  uncle  that  he 
would  never  abandon  him,  even  in  the  greatest  dan- 
gers ;  and  indeed,  he  was  true  to  his  word  "  (Relation, 
1644). 

Paul    Ononchoraton    was    tomahawked,  but    not    till 

*  Virgil's  ^neid,  Book  iv.  625. 


q6  Life  of  FatJier  Jogiics. 

after  he  had  passed  through  the  ordeal  of  fire  unflinch- 
ingly. He  was  a  young  man,  only  twenty-five  years  of 
age,  but  of  admirable  constancy  and  energy.  The  prin- 
ciples of  faith  and  Christian  hope  alone  inspired  his 
courage,  and  made  him  despise  death. 

The  Iroquois  singled  out  as  victims  men  of  this  stamp. 
It  was  not  only  to  exhaust  gradually  the  power  of  their 
enemies,  but  also  to  excite  the  emulation  of  their  young 
braves,  and  afford  them  an  example  of  how  a  warrior 
should  die. 

The  good  neophyte  Paul  had,  during  his  last  trials, 
given  the  servant  of  God  a  proof  of  his  attachment — thus 
related  by  the  latter:  "When  the  Iroquois  approached 
to  tear  out  my  nails,  or  subject  me  to  some  new  tor- 
ture, Paul  would  offer  himself  and  entreat  them  to  spare 
me  and  wreak  their  cruelty  on  him.  May  God  repay 
him  a  hundredfold,  and  with  usury,  for  his  admirable 
charity  that  made  him  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends 
(John  XV.  13),  and  for  those  who  had  begotten  him  in  chains 
(Philem.  10). 

The  death  of  the  third  captive  was  as  holy  and  as 
courageous  as  that  of  his  brethren.  Yet  it  was  happier 
in  that  he  had  the  privilege  of  seeing  Father  Jogues  by 
his  side  to  suggest  thoughts  of  faith,  and  to  encourage 
him. 

Such  were  these  men,  transformed  by  religion.  They 
had  but  just  abandoned  their  rude  ways  and  their  idola- 
trous prejudices;  they  were  just  born  to  the  Faith,  and 
were  able  to  become  its  heroes.  This  glorious  triumph, 
in  which  he  had  taken  so  active  a  part,  caused  Father 
Jogues  to  return  heartfelt  thanks  to  God.  Deprived 
as  he  was  of  the  crown  of  martyrdom,  for  which  he 
longed,  he  saw  himself  doomed  to  a  cruel  slavery,  the 
duration  of  which  it  was  not  in  the  power  of  man  to  mea- 
sure. But  this  state  presents  to  us  with  new  lustre  the 
virtue  of  the  servant  of  God. 


Captivity  of  Father  Jog  nes.  9  7 


CHAPTER    VII. 

Captivity  of  Father  Jogues— The  Dutch  Interpose — New  Dan- 
gers— Murder  of  Rene  Goupil — Consoling  Dreams. 

tN  the  evening  of  the  day  when  the  great  council 
had   determined    the    fate  of   the   prisoners,   the 

"^  Iroquois  took  William  Couture,  who  retained 
strength  enough  to  walk,  to  Tionnontoguen,  the  farthest 
town.  When  Indians  spared  a  prisoner's  life  they  gave 
him  to  a  family  which  had  lost  a  member  in  war,  in  order 
to  replace  him ;  and  the  head  of  the  family  to  whose  hands 
his  fate  was  committed,  obtained  over  the  adopted 
prisoner  the  right  of  life  and  death.  No  one  else  dare 
strike  him  within  the  village.  Father  Jogues  and  Rene 
Goupil,  who  appeared  much  weaker,  were  detained  in  the 
first  town,  the  residence  of  their  captors.  They  were 
doomed  to  slavery. 

After  such  long  fasts,  after  so  many  nights  of  pain 
and  sleeplessness,  after  so  many  blows  and  bruises  and 
wounds;  above  all,  after  such  inward  trials,  these  two 
poor  mutilated  beings  began  to  feel  their  sufferings  fully, 
and  were  completely  prostrated.  They  could  scarcely 
stand  or  drag  themselves  about.  Their  hands  were  one 
festering  wound,  so  utterly  useless  to  them  that  they 
had  to  be  fed  like  children.  To  recover  their  strength 
they  had  only  a  little  corn  grits,  and  occasionally  a  half- 
cooked  piece  of  pumpkin:  their  bed  was  the  bark  of  a 
tree,  their  blanket  a  tattered  deerskin,  greasy,  and 
swarming   with   vermin.      Their    wounds,    unbandaged 


98  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

and  exposed,  were  night  and  day  irritated  by  the  sting 
of  insects,  against  which  they  were  helpless  to  defend 
themselves.  Patience  was  their  physician:  but  some 
women  took  pity  on  them;  bandaged  their  hands  in 
their  way,  and  washed  their  wounds  in  cool  water,  which 
arrested  and  reduced  the  inflammation.  But  Rene, 
even  more  weakened  than  the  missionary,  and  suffering 
from  the  effects  of  the  blows  he  had  received  on  his  head, 
was  rapidly  failing.  The  savages  saw  it,  and  gave  the 
prisoners  some  more  substantial  food;  but  it  was  merely 
some  fish,  and  meat  dried  and  reduced  to  powder,  cooked 
with  their  corn-meal.  By  this  simple  means  the  two 
captives  were  restored  to  health. 

The  chiefs  and  sachems  deliberated  as  to  their  posi- 
tion. Some  proposed  that  they  should  be  sent  back  to 
Three  Rivers,  in  order  to  arrest  a  war  which  every  day 
thinned  the  ranks  of  their  warriors. 

This  project  was  on  the  point  of  being  carried  out, 
and  men  were  actually  selected  to  accompany  them. 
At  the  same  time,  the  Dutch  at  Rensselaerswyck,  which 
was  not  forty  miles  from  this  town,  having  heard  of 
the  capture  of  several  Frenchmen,  desired  to  interpose, 
and  obtain  their  deliverance.  On  the  7th  of  Septem- 
ber, the  eve  of  the  Nativity  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  the 
commandant  of  the  fort,  Arendt  Van  Corlaer;  his  in- 
terpreter, Jean  Labatie;  and  Jacob  Jansen  of  Amster- 
dam, went  as  ambassadors  to  the  town  of  Andagaron, 
and  opened  negotiations:  they  made  flattering  offers, 
and  a  more  attractive  promise  of  two  hundred  dollars; 
but  to  no  avail.  The  Iroquois,  under  pretence  of 
not  understanding  the  terms  of  the  parley, — in  fact,  un- 
willing either  to  displease  their  neighbors,  or  seem- 
ingly to  yield  to  their  offices, — only  spoke  of  an  ex- 
change of  prisoners  with  the  French  which  was  to  be 
effected  in  a  few  days.  Such  was  their  intention  un- 
doubtedly; but  an  unforeseen  circumstance  prevented  it, 
and    rekindled   all   their   fury  and   hatred   against   the 


The  DiUch  Interpose.  99 

French.  The  violent  had  prevailed  at  the  last  council, 
and  after  the  close  of  its  stormy  session  the  captives 
would  have  been  put  to  death  had  they  been  found. 
Providence  had  permitted  that  they  were  then  walking 
in  the  fields,  conversing  on  pious  subjects.  They  were 
sought,  but  in  vain  ;  after  the  first  outburst  of  savage 
fury  the  minds  of  the  Indians  calmed  down,  and  the 
danger  was  averted  once  more. 

The  change  in  the  disposition  of  the  Iroquois  was 
caused  by  the  news  of  a  check  sustained  by  a  band  of 
warriors — the  very  braves  whom  the  prisoners  had 
met  on  Lake  Champlain,  and  by  whom  they  had  been 
so  wantonly  saluted.  These  braves,  continuing  their 
course,  came  to  Fort  Richelieu,  which  the  French  were 
then  erecting  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  of  the  Iroquois. 
The  Indians  thought  it  a  favorable  moment  to  over- 
throw that  barrier.  Their  number,  which  was  some  three 
hundred,  inspired  complete  confidence.  They  expected 
to  crush  this  handful  of  soldiers,  and  profiting  by  this 
surprise,  to  demolish  the  work.  It  was  only  seven  days 
since  the  first  axe  had  been  struck  into  a  tree  of  that  un- 
broken forest,  but  the  inclosing  palisade  had  already 
been  raised  strong  enough  to  shelter  those  at  work. 
Religion  had  come  at  the  same  time  to  bless  the  soil, 
and  the  missionary  who  accompanied  the  expedition 
had  celebrated  Mass  on  the  20th  of  August,  the  Feast  of 
St.  Bernard. 

Lurking  at  first  in  the  neighboring  woods,  the  Iroquois 
formed  three  different  bands,  and  at  a  given  signal  they 
fell  with  a  war-whoop  on  the  workmen.  But,  fortunately, 
Mr.  de  Montmagny  had  that  day  arrived  with  three  well- 
armed  barques  to  inspect  and  direct  the  works.  From 
the  deck  of  his  brigantine  he  descried  the  Indians  and 
guessed  their  plan.  Taking  a  canoe,  he  reached  the 
fort  before  the  enemy.  In  a  moment  the  little  garrison 
was  under  arms,  and,  following  Durocher,  the  com- 
mandant of  the  post,  manned  the  palisade,  ready  for  the 


lOO  Life  of  FatJier  Jogiies. 

affray.*  The  Indian  attack  was  made  at  different  points 
at  once.  An  Iroquois  chieftain  was  distinguished  among 
the  rest  by  his  tall  figure,  his  particolored  face,  and  red 
deer-skin  headpiece.  He  fought  bravely  at  the  head  of 
his  party,  and  his  example  inspired  his  men.  Suddenly  a 
ball  stretched  him  lifeless  on  the  ground.  Almost  at 
the  same  moment  two  other  Indians  were  killed  and 
several  wounded.  The  assailants  became  demoralized: 
some  retreated,  carrying  the  rest  with  them.  A  precipi- 
tate and  disorderly  flight  ensued.  Brave  at  a  first  on- 
slaught, Indians  are  easily  disconcerted,  and  their  energy 
fails  them  if  they  meet  with  a  firm  resistance.  The 
French  sustained  some  loss.  Corporal  Deslauriers  was 
killed,  and  the  Sieur  Martial,  the  Governor's  secretary, 
who  took  part  in  the  affair,  was  wounded. 

After  this  repulse  the  Indians  returned  home,  humili- 
ated, and  enraged  at  heart.  On  learning  that  the  French 
prisoners  were  still  alive,  they  determined  at  any  cost  to 
wash  away  in  their  blood  the  affront  they  had  received, 
and  atone  for  it  by  this  easy  victory.  Providence,  as 
we  have  seen,  baffled  their  wicked  design. 

Father  Jogues  and  his  companion  then  entered  upon 
the  ordinary  routine  of  a  captive's  existence — a  preca- 
rious situation,  where  life  always  hung  on  a  thread. 
Under  the  least  pretext,  the  first  comer  might  murder 
them,  provided  it  was  not  within  the  bounds  of  the  town. 
It  was  thus  that  good  Rene  was  killed  some  time  after. 
In  his  captivity  the  pious  young  man  wished  to  see  God 
glorified  by  all  around  him.  Unable  to  address  his 
masters,  whose  language  he  could  not  speak,  and  who 

"  The  military  strength  of  Canada  at  this  time  may  be  noticed.  It 
was  very  insignificant.  The  garrison  of  Quebec  consisted  of  fifteen 
men,  and  cost  the  treasury  12,180  livres.  Three  Rivers  had  seventy, 
and  Montreal  as  many.  An  order  of  the  Council  of  State  (March  5, 
1648)  directs  a  captain  and  thirty  men  to  be  sent  to  the  Hurons. 
This  made  115  men  for  the  whole  of  Canada  (Manuscript  at  the 
Library  of  the  Louvre). 


Fort  Richclieit  Attacked.  loi 

would  only  have  been  provoked  by  his  words,  as  he  well 
knew,  he  drew  unto  him  the  little  children,  and  taught 
them  how  to  make  the  sign  of  the  cross.  An  old  man 
caught  him  making  the  sign  on  the  forehead  of  his  grand- 
child, and  even  teaching  the  child  to  bless  himself.  The 
sight  aroused  all  his  hatred  and  superstition.  He  called 
one  of  his  nephews  and  said,  "  Go  kill  that  dog  of  a 
Frenchman.  The  Hollanders  tell  us  that  the  sign  he  has 
made  on  my  grandchild  is  not  good.  I  fear  lest  some 
evil  will  befall  him."  Unfortunately,  the  order  was  too 
much  to  the  taste  of  the  young  brave;  he  breathed  only 
vengeance  since  he  learned  that  one  of  his  relations  had 
been  killed  in  the  attack  on  Fort  Richelieu.  He  had 
only  to  find  his  victim  outside  the  palisade,  and  unpro- 
tected.    An  opportunity  was  soon  found. 

Full  of  gloomy  forebodings  Father  Jogues  endeavored 
to  maintain  his  disciple  as  well  as  himself  in  perfect 
resignation  to  the  will  of  God.  When  not  at  pray- 
er, this  was  the  ordinary  subject  of  their  conversation. 
One  evening  the  missionary  and  his  disciple  were  walk- 
ing in  the  woods  near  the  town,  when  they  saw  the  old 
man's  nephew  and  another  3'-oung  brave  approaching, 
and  were  ordered  to  enter  their  cabin  at  once.  "  I  had 
a  presentiment,"  writes  Father  Jogues  :  "  of  what  was 
going  to  happen,  and  I  said  to  Goupil,  'My  dear  brother, 
let  us  recommend  ourselves  to  our  Lord  and  our  good 
Mother  the  Blessed  Virgin  :  these  men  have  some  evil 
purpose,  I  fear,  .  .  .  We  had  shortly  before  offered  our- 
selves to  our  Lord  with  much  earnestness,  entreating 
Him  to  accept  our  lives  and  our  blood,  and  to  unite  them 
to  His  life  and  blood  for  the  salvation  of  these  poor  peo- 
ple !" 

The  two  captives  turned  their  steps  towards  the  village, 
all  the  way  saying  their  rosary.  They  had  recited  four 
decades,  when,  as  they  neared  the  gate,  the  two  Iroquois 
following,  one  of  them  raised  a  tomahawk  which  he 
had  concealed  under  his  robe,  and  dealt  a  violent  blow 


I02  Life  of  Father  Joo7ies. 

on  the  head  of  poor  Rene,  who  fell  on  his  face,  uttering 
the  most  holy  name  of  Jesus.  "  Happily,"  adds  the  good 
Father,  "we  had  often  reminded  one  another  to  sanctify 
our  last  word  at  our  death,  by  pronouncing  this  most 
holy  name  to  gain  the  indulgence." 

On  beholding  his  companion  fall  lifeless,  Father 
Jogues  turned  back,  and  seeing  the  reeking  hatchet  in 
the  hand  of  the  murderer,  fell  on  his  knees  and  uncov- 
ering his  head,  awaited  the  same  fate,  offering  his  life 
a  sacrifice  to  God.  But  the  Indian  told  him  he  had 
nothing  to  fear,  for  he  belonged  to  another  family.  Dis- 
appointed in  his  hopes  of  a  blessed  martyrdom.  Father 
Jogues  rose,  and  hearkening  only  to  his  grief  and  love, 
threw  himself  on  the  body  of  "his  dear  Rene,"  as  he 
calls  him;  he  imparted  to  him  a  last  absolution,  as  he 
was  wont  to  do  every  other  day;  shed  abundant  tears 
over  him,  and  pressed  him  to  his  heart.  In  him  he  had 
lost  his  spiritual  son,  his  brother,  the  companion  of  his 
sufferings  and  labors,  the  only  comfort  of  his  captivity. 
He  felt  himself  left  to  a  dreary  solitude. 

"It  was  on  the  29th  of  September,  1642,"  says  Father 
Jogues,  "  that  this  angel  of  innocence  and  martyr  of 
Jesus  Christ  was  immolated,  in  his  thirty-fifth  year,  for 
Him  who  had  given  His  life  for  his  ransom.  He  had 
consecrated  his  soul  and  his  heart  to  God;  his  hand, 
his  very  life,  to  the  welfare  of  the  poor  Indians." 

The  two  murderers  tore  the  missionary  from  the  body 
of  their  victim,  on  which  they  dealt  two  blows  with  their 
tomahawks,  for  fear  the  first  had  not  been  effectual. 
Father  Jogues  was  sent  back  to  the  family  that  had 
adopted  him.  The  rest  of  that  day  and  the  following 
he  did  not  go  out,  as  he  constantly  expected  a  fate  like 
Rene's;  for  he  had  learned  that  his  adoptive  family  had 
also  lost  one  of  their  young  men  in  war;  In  place  of  ill- 
treatment,  he  met  kindness  at  the  hand  of  his  master, 
who  even  examined  the  marks  of  blood  on  his  person  to 
see  whether  he  had  been  wounded.     He  put  his  hand 


Martyrdom  of  Rend.  lo 


J 


over  the  missionary's  heart  to  discover  what  impressions 
it  might  betray;  but  on  finding  it  perfectly  calm,  and 
beating  no  more  quickly  than  usual,  he  warned  him, 
"Do  not  go  out  of  the  town,  unless  in  company  with  one 
of  us.  There  are  some  young  madmen  who  are  bent  on 
killing  you.     Be,  then,  on  your  guard." 

Nor  was  this  the  only  warning  of  danger  that  the  ser- 
vant of  God  had  received  :  some  told  him  openly;  one 
Indian  asked  him  for  his  shoes,  as  he  soon  would  have 
no  more  need  of  them  ;  the  good  missionary  gave  them 
up  with  a  smile. 

However,  on  the  second  day  after  Goupil's  murder, 
Father  Jogues  could  not  resist  his  desire  to  learn  what 
had  become  of  the  corpse,  for  the  purpose  of  giving  it  a 
proper  burial.  He  set  out  to  find  it  at  the  risk  of  his 
life  ;  for  armed  young  braves  might  be  seen  lurking 
about,  bent  on  mischief.  An  old  man,  with  whom  the 
missionary  had  dwelt,  met  him  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
town,  and  divining  his  intention,  tried  to  dissuade  him: 
"Where  are  you  going?  You  have  no  sense  ;  they  are 
after  you  to  take  3'our  life,  and  you  are  hunting  for  a 
carcass  already  half  decayed  !  Do  you  not  see  these 
young  braves  down  there  waiting  to  kill  you  ?"  The 
man  of  God  here  remarks,  "  I  feared  nothing,  for  life 
in  the  midst  of  so  much  anguish  was  only  a  torment; 
whereas  death  in  the  pursuit  of  such  an  act  of  charity, 
would  be  a  real  gain"  (Phil.  i.  21). 

He  therefore  continued  his  way;  but  the  old  man  di- 
rected a  good  Algonquin,  who  had  been  adopted  by  the 
Iroquois,  to  go  with  the  missionary  and  to  protect  him. 
They  searched  together,  and  at  last  found  the  body:  after 
the  murder  it  had  been  turned  over  to  the  boys,  who  in 
their  turn  had  stripped  it,  and  by  a  rope  fastened  to  its 
neck  dragged  it  to  the  torrent  that  ran  at  the  foot  of  the 
village.  The  sides  had  been  torn  by  dogs.  The  pitiable 
condition  of  the  corpse  drew  tears  from  Father  Jogues, 
and  awakened  all  his  grief.     All  he  could  do  for  the  mo- 


104  ^{/^  of  Father  Jogiies, 

ment  was  to  lay  the  corpse  in  a  deep  eddy  of  the  torrent, 
concealing  it  under  stones,  in  order  to  keep  it  from  being 
floated  away,  and  protect  it  against  famished  animals. 
He  intended  to  return  the  next  day  with  a  spade,  and 
bury  it  secretly. 

When  he  reached  the  cabin,  two  young  braves  re- 
quested him  to  accompany  them  to  a  neighboring  town: 
the  holy  man  readily  detected  their  murderous  design, 
but  he  answered  humbly,  "I  am  not  my  own;  ask  my 
master:  if  he  consents,  I  am  ready  to  go  with  you."  This 
spirit  of  obedience  saved  him,  for  his  master  stoutly 
refused  to  let  him  go. 

Father  Jogues  endeavored  to  pay  the  last  offices  of 
respect  and  religion  to  Rene's  remains  the  next  day;  but 
his  master,  to  save  him  from  the  treacherous  designs  of 
ill-disposed  men,  sent  him  in  another  direction  to  work 
in  their  field.  But  on  the  day  after  he  succeeded  in 
starting  early  to  seek  the  precious  remains.  Let  us  hear 
him  recount  this  act  of  fraternal  devotion,  which  reveals 
all  the  affection  of  his  generous  soul:  "I  went  to  the 
spot  w^here  I  had  laid  the  remains.  I  climbed  the  hill,  by 
the  foot  of  which  the  torrent  runs;  I  descended  it.  I 
went  through  the  wood  on  the  other  side:  my  search  was 
useless.  In  spite  of  the  depth  of  the  water,  which 
came  up  to  my  waist, — for  it  had  rained  all  night, — 
and  in  spite  of  the  cold  (it  was  the  ist  of  October), 
I  sounded  with  my  feet  and  with  my  staff  to  see 
whether  the  current  had  not  carried  the  corpse  farther 
along.  I  asked  every  Indian  I  saw  whether  he  knew 
what  had  become  of  it;  but  as  they  are  liars  by  nature, 
and  always  answer  in  the  affirmative  without  any  regard 
for  the  truth,  they  told  me  that  it  had  been  carried  down 
by  the  current  to  the  river  near  by,  which  was  untrue. 
Oh,  what  sighs  I  uttered,  what  tears  I  shed,  to  mingle 
with  the  waters  of  the  torrent,  while  I  chanted  to  Thee, 
O  my  God,  the  psalms  of  Holy  Church  in  the  Office 
of  the  Dead!" 


He  Seeks  Rend's  Body.  105 

The  fact  was  that  the  young  br^ives  who  had  seen 
Father  Jogues  hide  the  body  of  Rene,  went  stealthily, 
took  it  up,  and  carried  it  to  a  neighboring  wood. 
"After  the  thaws,"  writes  Father  Jogues,  "I  went  to  the 
spot  pointed  out  to  me,  and  gathered  some  bones  partly 
gnawed,  left  there  by  the  dogs,  wolves,  and  crows,  and 
especially  a  skull,  fractured  in  several  places.  I  rever- 
ently kissed  the  hallowed  relics,  and  hid  them  in  the 
earth,  that  I  may  one  day,  if  such  is  God's  will,  enrich 
with  them  a  Christian  and  holy  ground.  He  deserves 
the  name  of  martyr,  not  only  because  he  has  been  mur- 
dered by  the  enemies  of  God  and  His  Churcli,  and  whilst 
laboring  in  ardent  charity  for  his  neighbors;  but  more 
than  all  because  he  was  killed  for  being  at  prayer,  and 
notably  for  making  the  sign  of  the  cross." 

Thus  did  Father  Jogues  spend  the  two  first  months  of 
his  captivity  in  almost  constant  fear  and  danger  of  death, 
and  he  admired  how  Divine  Providence,  notwithstanding 
the  cunning  and  malice  of  his  enemies,  baffled  their 
guilty  projects.  He  mentions  several  remarkable  in- 
cidents. One  half-witted  Indian  insisted  on  having  part 
of  the  blanket  which  served  as  a  robe  by  day  and  a 
covering  at  night.  "  I  would  give  it  to  you  willingly," 
said  the  missionary,  "but  you  know  that  it  is  not  enough 
to  protect  me  against  the  cold;  and  I  would,  moreover, 
be  in  a  state  of  nudity,  to  which  we  are  not  accustomed. 
However,  do  as  you  choose."  The  reply,  meek  as  it  was, 
provoked  the  wretch,  who  took  it  as  an  insult.  He 
darted  off,  bent  on  having  his  revenge  on  that  dog  of  a 
Frenchman,  as  he  termed  him.  He  confided  to  his 
brother  his  plan  of  vengeance.  They  induced  the  mis- 
sionary to  enter  the  cabin  at  a  certain  hour,  as  the 
punishment  was  to  be  inflicted  there,  with  the  master's 
assent.  The  murderer  of  Rene,  as  an  experienced  hand, 
was  chosen  for  the  execution  of  their  plans;  but  he  could 
not  be  found,  and  the  plan  failed.  Yet  they  thought  to 
retrieve  their  mishap  on  the  morrow,  and  discussed  the 


io6  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

matter  in  his  very  presence,  not  thinking  he  knew  enough 
of  the  language  to  understand  them.  *' I  pretended," 
he  writes,  "  not  to  understand  they  were  plotting  against 
me.  'I  was  as  a  dumb  man,  not  opening  my  mouth: 
and  I  became  as  a  man  that  heareth  not;  and  that  hath 
no  reproofs  in  his  mouth.  For  in  thee,  O  Lord,  have  I 
hoped  '  (Ps.  xxxvii.  14-16).  I  loved  to  recall  to  my  mind 
Him  'Who  was  led  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter'  (Acts 
viii.  34)  and  I  wished  to  meet  death  with  a  prayer  to  God 
that  He  would  not  '  turn  back  the  evils  upon  my  enemies, 
and  cut  them  off  in  His  truth  '  "  (Ps.  liii.  7). 

The  next  day  two  women  were  commissioned  to  con- 
duct him  to  an  adjoining  field,  under  pretence  of  bring- 
ing back  something,  but  in  fact  to  deliver  him  into  the 
hands  of  his  murderer,  who  was  already  posted  there. 
They  had  some  pumpkins,  corn,  and  other  presents  to 
pay  the  assassin.  When  Father  Jogues  descried  the 
murderer  of  Rene  at  a  distance,  he  once  more  commended 
his  soul  to  God,  and  went  forward  boldly,  as  it  were,  to 
meet  his  sacrifice.  But  God  would  only  accept  the  offer- 
ing of  his  heart:  as  for  himself,  he  felt  in  his  humility 
that  he  had  been  deprived  of  this  crown  of  martrydom 
because  of  his  sins.  The  Indian  passed  him  by  harm- 
lessly, ashamed,  as  it  were,  of  his  own  wicked  purpose. 

In  this  precarious  existence,  and  amid  daily  alarms. 
Father  Jogues  had  no  heart  to  apply  himself  to  learn  the 
language  of  the  Iroquois:  he  thought  that  no  benefit 
would  accrue  from  his  labor.  He  divided  his  hours  be- 
tween his  duties  as  a  slave,  forced  to  provide  for  the 
wants  of  the  cabin,  and  those  of  an  apostle,  bound  to 
encourage  and  support  the  poor  Hurons,  his  companions 
in  captivity;  and  finally  in  practices  of  piety,  the  exer- 
cises of  religion,  reading,  and  prayer. 

He  thus  relates  his  pious  ingenuity  to  keep  alive  his 
fervor  :  "  I  avoided  crowded  places,  and  sought  solitude: 
there  I  entreated  God  '  to  make  His  face  shine  upon  His 
servant'   (Ps.  cxviii.  135),  and  to  ' grant  him  help  from 


His  Life  Me?iaccd.  107 

trouble  '  (Ps.  cvii.  13).  *  If  I  have  become  unto  many  as  a 
wonder '  (Ps.  Ixx.  7),  I  owe  it  only  to  God,  who  so 
wonderfully  bore  me  up,  and  who,  by  a  proof  of  His  in- 
finite goodness,  often  roused  my  drooping  courage.  I 
found  a  refuge  in  the  Holy  Scriptures — my  only  source 
*  in  the  trouble  which  hath  encompassed  me  '  (Ps.  xxxi. 
7).  I  venerated  them,  and  desired  to  die  while  using 
them.  Of  all  the  books  that  we  were  carrying  to  the 
Hurons,  I  had  saved  only  the  Epistle  of  St.  Paul  to  the 
Hebrews,  with  the  comments  of  Mgr.  Anthony  Go- 
deau.  Bishop  of  Grasse.  I  always  carried  this  book  with 
me,  as  well  as  an  indulgenced  picture  of  St.  Bruno,  the 
illustrious  founder  of  the  Carthusians,  and  a  little  wooden 
cross  I  had  myself  made  the  best  way  I  could.  I  wished 
that  wherever  I  should  meet  death,  which  I  never  lost 
sight  of,  it  should  find  me  ready,  resting  on  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  which  had  always  been  my  greatest  comfort; 
strengthened  with  the  graces  and  indulgences  of  the 
Most  Holy  Church,  my  mother,  whom  I  have  always 
loved,  but  now  more  than  ever;  and  lastly,  armed  with 
the  cross  of  my  Redeemer." 

The  devout  missionary  subsequently  had  the  happi- 
ness of  finding  a  '^  Following  of  Christ,"  and  a  "  Little 
Office  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary."  Thus  he  was  able  to 
add  to  his  spiritual  treasure.  This  was  his  only  resource 
to  compensate  for  his  being  deprived  of  the  happiness 
of  saying  the  Breviary  and  offering  the  Holy  Sacrifice 
of  Mass.  But  God  did  not  forget  His  servant  in  his 
anguish,  and  more  than  once  He  comforted  his  soul  abun- 
dantly in  pious  dreams,  which  the  missionary  regarded 
with  gratitude  as  direct  effects  of  the  Divine  goodness. 
We  translate  from  the  Latin  one  of  those  mysterious 
dreams,  which  did  so  much  to  rouse  his  courage  and  re- 
animate his  confidence.  It  was  only  at  the  order  of  his 
Superior  that  he  consented  to  relate  what  he  humbly 
called  his  reveries.  The  words  of  Holy  Writ,  which  flow 
from  his  pen  as  from  a  fountain,  give  it  an  additional 


io8  i^if^  of  Father  Jogites, 

charm.  It  seems  as  if  his  memory  followed  the  lead  of 
his  heart.  "  I  had  left  the  town  as  usual,  to  give  a  freer 
vent  to  my  feelings  before  Thee,  O  my  God,  to  offer 
Thee  my  prayer,  and  '■  to  set  my  tears  in  Thy  sight ' 
(Ps.  Iv.  9).  As  I  returned  I  found  it  all  transformed: 
the  palisades  which  inclosed  it  seemed  changed 
into  towers,  with  battlements  and  magnificent  walls. 
Yet  I  saw  nothing  that  appeared  new  in  these  structures; 
but  it  was  an  ancient  city,  already  venerable  for  its  an- 
tiquity. Whilst  I  was  doubting  whether  this  was  our 
town,  some  Iroquois  whom  I  knew  assured  me  that  it 
was.  Almost  bewildered,  I  advanced,  and  passed  the 
first  entrance,  when,  above  the  rising  of  the  second,  I 
perceived  L  N,  engraved  in  large  letters,  with  the  figure 
of  the  Lamb  that  was  slain.  I  was  amazed,  and  could 
not  conceive  how  barbarians  who  had  no  idea  of  our 
writing  could  have  engraved  those  letters.  While  I  was 
thus  endeavoring  to  solve  this  problem,  I  saw  above  it  a 
floating  ribbon,  with  words  explaining  them:  '  Laudent 
Nomen  Ejus  ' — '  Let  them  praise  His  name  '  (Ps.  cxlix.  3). 
Then  my  soul  was,  as  it  were,  flooded  with  a  great  light, 
which  made  me  see  in  a  most  clear  manner  that  the 
name  of  God  is  praised  above  all  by  those  who  endeavor 
in  their  trials  to  imitate  the  meekness  of  Him  '  who 
opened  not  His  mouth '  to  those  who  stripped  Him,  and 
who  '  was  led  as  a  sheep  to  the  slaughter  '  (Isaias  liii.  7). 
Encouraged  by  this  vision,  I  passed  through  a  second 
gate,  built  of  handsome  stones,  squared  and  polished. 
It  was  a  portico  vaulted  over,  large  and  imposing.  I 
saw  in  its  centre,  yet  a  little  on  one  side  of  the  pathway, 
an  armory  full  of  arquebuses,  arrows,  and  '  all  the  ar- 
mor of  valiant  men'  (Cant.  iv.  4).  I  saw  no  soldiers; 
but  I  thought  that  I  should,  according  to  custom,  salute 
the  guard  as  a  mark  of  respect.  As  I  took  off  my  cap 
towards  them,  a  sentinel  near  by  ordered  me  to  halt. 
Now,  whether  I  had  my  face  turned,  or  that  the  novelty 
of  all  I  saw  had  engrossed  my  entire  attention,  I  did  not 


A  Mysterious  Dream.  109 

see  or  hear  him.  The  sentry  challenged  me  again  in  a 
louder  tone,  '  Halt,  I  say.'  Coming  to  my  senses,  I 
halted.  The  soldier  said,  '  Is  this  the  way  you  obey  the 
guard  posted  before  the  King's  palace,  that  you  have  to 
be  challenged  twice  ?  I  will  take  you  at  once  before  our 
judge  and  our  commandant  [I  heard  these  two  titles  of 
officer  and  magistrate],  that  your  insolence  may  be  pun- 
ished as  it  deserves.'  I  replied,  'I  assure  you,  my  very 
dear  friend,  I  halted  as  soon  as  I  heard  you.'  Not  satis- 
fied with  my  explanation,  he  led  the  way  to  the  judge. 
The  gates  of  the  palace  were  on  the  side  where  I  stood, 
yet  a  little  farther  from  the  armory.  I  entered.  The 
palace  seemed  to  me  like  one  of  those  halls  called  in 
Europe  Golden  Halls,  where  judgment  is  held,  or,  rather, 
like  the  halls  in  ancient  monasteries  known  as  chapters. 
It  was  all  on  a  scale  of  great  magnificence. 

**In  this  hall  I  beheld  a  venerable  man,  full  of  majesty, 
like  to  '  the  Ancient  of  Days  '  (Dan.  vii.  9).  He  wore  a 
scarlet  robe  of  great  beauty.  He  was  not  seated  on  his 
throne,  but  walked  about  with  a  most  benign  counte- 
nance, administering  justice  to  his  people.  There  was 
a  crowd,  as  we  see  in  Europe,  of  all  ranks.  I  recog- 
nized some,  who  asked  of  me  news  about  the  Hurons. 
I  said  to  myself,  'Good!  they  know  me,  and  know  that 
I  have  done  nothing  to  deserve  being  brought  before 
this  court.     I  shall  be  treated  more  indulgently.' 

"  But  when  the  judge  heard  the  charge  laid  against  me 
by  the  soldier,  without  a  question  he  drew  a  rod  from 
what  appeared  to  be  like  the  fasces  the  lictors  carried 
before  the  Roman  consuls,  and  scourged  me  long  and 
unmercifully  on  the  shoulders,  then  on  the  neck,  lastly 
on  the  head,  causing  most  intense  pain.  Though  he 
used  only  one  hand,  I  think  I  suffered  as  much  as  when 
I  entered  the  first  town  of  the  Iroquois,  when  all  the 
youth  of  the  place  came  to  meet  us,  and  welcomed  us  so 
cruelly  with  blows  from  their  clubs.  I  made  no  sign  of 
complaint;  I  did  not  groan;  I  received  every  blow  with 


no  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

perfect  resignation  ;  I  endured  it  all  with  humility. 
Then  my  judge,  seemingly  struck  with  admiration  at  my 
patience,  threw  the  rod  aside,  and  embraced  me  most 
affectionately.  The  pain  was  calmed,  and  I  felt  over- 
come with  an  unspeakable  and  Divine  consolation.  In 
the  transport  of  this  celestial  joy,  I  kissed  the  hand  that 
had  smitten  me,  and  in  the  impulse  of  my  delight  I 
cried,  '  Thy  rod,  O  God  my  King,  and  Thy  staff,  they 
have  comforted  me'  (Ps.  xxii.  4). 

"  On  that  he  led  me  to  the  door,  and  left  me  on  the 
threshold.  When  I  came  to  myself,  after  mature  delib- 
eration on  what  I  had  seen,  I  could  not  but  attribute  to 
God  this  uncommon  experience,  not  only  for  the  admi- 
rable connection  of  circumstances,  though  I  had  not 
thought  of  anything  like  it  while  awake,  but  for  the 
ardent  love  I  felt  when  my  judge  embraced  me  and  I 
exclaimed,  Thy  rod.  Months  after,  the  mere  remem- 
brance drew  tears  from  my  eyes,  and  filled  me  with 
unspeakable  consolation." 


Winter  I  hint.  1 1 1 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

Winter  Hunt — Fasts — Father  Jogues'  Oratory — Celestial  Com- 
forts— Return  to  the  Village— His  Situation  changed — He 
studies  Mohawk — He  speaks  of  God — Fishing — Nev/  Dan- 
gers— Torture  of  Prisoners. 

tHE  attempts  on  the  missionary's  life  ceased  at  last; 
animosity  disappeared  for  a  while,  and  he  had  an 
interval  of  peace,  although  there  was  no  relaxa- 
tion of  the  rigor  of  his  captivity.  Winter  brought  on 
additional  labors  and  privations — it  was  the  time  for 
deer-hunting,  an  exercise  that  could  please  none  but 
Indians.  Father  Jogues  was  given  to  a  family  as  a 
servant,  and  set  out  with  them  in  the  latter  part  of 
October.  The  weather  was  severe,  and  the  hunting- 
ground  was  more  than  sixty  miles  distant,  and  the 
march  was  made  on  foot.  His  wardrobe  was  in  the 
most  miserable  plight — one  shirt  and  one  pair  of  draw- 
ers well  worn  out,  his  shoes  broken,  and  his  breeches  and 
stockings  so  ragged  that  his  legs  were  bare.  His  feet 
were  soon  bleeding  from  the  sharp  stones,  the  piercing 
briars,  and  reeds;  yet  all  he  had  to  suffer  on  the  way 
was  nothing  compared  to  what  he  had  to  undergo  during 
the  hunting. 

As  he  was  considered  of  no  avail  for  the  chase,  he  was 
set  apart  for  woman's  work;  that  is,  to  cut  wood  and  keep 
up  the  fires  in  the  cabins.  Game  was  abundant  at  first, 
and  meat  was  about  the  only  food  of  the  hunters.  The 
diet  proved  healthy  to  Father  Jogues,  and  it  helped  him 
to  recruit  his  strength;  but  he  soon  had  to  give  it  up 
when  he  saw  the  idolatrous  practices  of  his  masters.     For 


112  Life  of  FatJicr  Jogues. 

no  sooner  was  an  animal  taken,  than  a  part — usually  that 
considered  the  greatest  delicacy — was  raised  aloft  by  one 
of  the  old  men,  who  offered  it  to  the  demon  of  the 
hunt,  saying,  '^  Genius  Aireskoi,  behold,  we  offer  thee 
meat:  feast  on  it,  eat  it,  and  show  us  where  the  deer 
roam." 

After  once  hearing  the  idolatrous  invocation.  Father 
Jogues  would  never  again  touch  meat,  and  said  to  the 
Indians,  ''  I  will  never  live  on  food  offered  to  the 
devil."  Thus  he  contented  himself  with  a  little  sagam- 
ity  and  some  parched  grains  of  corn,  and  there  was 
little  even  of  that,  for  in  the  abundance  of  game  the 
hunters  despised  Indian  corn.  "Often  did  I  enter 
the  cabin  at  night,"  says  he,  "without  having  tasted 
food  the  whole  day,  and  I  would  find  my  Egyptians 
gluttonly  'seated  over  the  flesh-pots'  smoking  full 
(Exod.  xvi.  3);  and  although  I  might  allege  the  best 
reasons  for  allowing  m3'Self  to  partake  of  their  fare,  I 
did  not  once,  thank  God,  fail  in  my  resolution.  When 
suffering  the  pangs  of  hunger,  I  would  say  to  God,  'We 
shall  be  filled  with  the  good  things  of  Thy  house  '  (Ps. 
Ixiv.  5);  'I  shall  be  satisfied  when  Thy  glory  shall  ap- 
pear' (Ps.  xvi.  15);  Thou  shalt  fulfil  the  yearnings  of 
Thy  servant  in  the  holy  city  of  Thy  celestial  Jerusa- 
lem." 

However,  the  ever-suspicious  mind  of  the  savages 
attributed  Father  Jogues'  abstinence  from  meat  to  a 
mark  of  contempt  of  their  deity,  and  they  held  him 
accountable  for  their  ill-luck  subsequently  in  their  hunts. 
Their  former  feelings  of  pity  were  changed  into  abhor- 
rence and  hatred.  His  presence  seemed  irksome  to 
them.  His  endeavor  to  learn  Mohawk  more  perfectly 
was  stopped.  They  would  not  give  him  any  explanation 
or  answer  his  questions  any  longer.  They  even  refused 
to  listen  to  him  when  he  endeavored  to  tell  them,  as  he 
had  often  done,  the  history  of  creation,  of  the  fall  of 
Adam,  the  deluge,  of  the  last  judgment,  and  of  hell. 


Oblations  to  A  ireski.  113 

Nor  was  this  the  only  occasion  when  the  credulous 
superstition  of  this  ignorant  people  exposed  Father 
Jogues  to  great  danger.  One  of  the  Iroquois  who  had 
fallen  ill  imagined,  after  a  dream,  that  his  recovery  de- 
pended on  certain  ceremonies  and  dances,  in  which 
the  missionary  must  take  part,  and  he  insisted  that 
he  should  lend  it  his  presence,  holding  his  book  of 
prayers  in  his  hand.  Now,  a  dream  is  so  sacred  an  occur- 
rence with  the  Indians,  above  all  when  in  connection 
with  sickness,  that  it  was  unheard  of  that  any  one  should 
refuse  to  aid  in  its  accomplishment.  All  the  tribes  of 
North  America  were  slaves  to  this  belief.  The  relations 
of  the  sick  man  called  on  Father  Jogues  and  informed 
him  that  the  man's  recovery  was  in  his  hands.  ''  You 
have  only  to  do,"  said  they,  "what  he  has  seen  in  his 
dream,  and  he  is  saved.  It  is  very  easy  for  you:  you 
pray  like  that  every  day;  his  recovery  will  be  a  triumph 
for  you."  The  Father  smiled,  and  tried  to  make  them 
see  the  folly  of  their  system.  They  insisted;  he  refused. 
Other  messengers  called  on  him,  and  spoke  of  the 
cruelty  of  letting  a  man  thus  suffer  and  die,  when  it  was 
such  an  easy  thing  to  give  him  relief.  It  was  all  of  no 
avail:  the  missionary  could  not  join  in  their  foolish 
notions,  much  less  encourage  them.  Then  the  Indians 
resolved  to  employ  force,  and  some  stalwart  young  men 
were  appointed  to  drag  him  to  the  dance.  But  Father 
Jogues,  learning  their  design,  escaped  from  their  hands 
and  fled  to  the  woods.  His  agility  was  still  such  that 
they  could  not  overtake  him.  This  resolute  course 
showed  them  how  useless  it  was  to  try  to  overcome  his 
opposition,  and  they  gave  him  no  further  trouble. 

Thus  did  the  life  of  the  missionary  alternate  between 
painful  labor,  privations  of  every  kind,  and  continual  an- 
noyances. He  could  not  pray  any  more  in  their  pres- 
ence, for  they  accused  him  of  invoking  evil  spirits.  He 
could  kneel  no  more  in  their  sight,  for  a  posture  so  un- 
usual to  them  became  suspicious.     Winter  soon  added 


114  Life  of  Father  Jogiies. 

its  rigors  to  this  life  of  suffering.  Heavy  falls  of  snow 
covered  the  frozen  ground,  and  he  was  protected  only  by 
a  wretched  and  scanty  deer-skin.  Yet  the  Indians  had 
plenty  of  peltries  for  their  trade,  but  never  thought  of 
giving  him  any.  Sometimes,  at  night,  while  shivering 
with  cold,  he  would  succeed  in  drawing  one  of  them  over 
his  body,  but  as  soon  as  discovered  it  was  taken  from 
him  amidst  imprecations.  He  was  continually  benumbed 
with  cold,  and  at  last  his  skin  was  all  chapped  and  raw. 
Nor  was  this  all.  His  bodily  sufferings  were  soon  ex- 
ceeded by  interior  anguish  and  pain,  even  more  intense, 
which  threw  the  servant  of  God  into  the  deepest  dejec- 
tion. He  beheld  "the  sorrows  of  hell  encompass  him" 
(Ps.  cxiv.  3),  "combats  without,  fears  within"  (2  Cor. 
vii.  5). 

Let  us  hear  him  portray  what  then  passed  in  his  soul, 
and  the  remedy  which  faith  supplied: 

"  I  thought,"  he  writes,  "  of  my  dear  companions,  whose 
blood  had  so  lately  covered  me,  and  I  heard  a  report 
that  good  William  had  also  ended  his  life  in  most  cruel 
torments,  and  that  a  like  end  was  in  store  for  me  on  our 
return  to  the  town.  Then  the  remembrance  of  my  whole 
life  rushed  back  to  me,  with  all  its  unfaithfulness  to  God, 
and  all  its  faults.  I  groaned  to  see  myself  die  '  in  the 
midst  of  my  days'  (Is.  xxxviii.  10),  as  if  rejected  by  the 
Lord,  deprived  of  the  sacraments  of  the  Church,  and 
with  no  good  works  to  propitiate  my  Judge.  Thus  tor- 
mented with  a  desire  to  live  and  the  fear  of  death,  I 
groaned,  and  cried  to  my  God,  When  shall  my  grief  and 
my  anguish  come  to  an  end  ?  When  wilt  Thou  '  see  my 
abjection  and  my  labor'  (Ps.  xxiv.  3);  when  wilt  Thou 
give  me  '  calm  after  the  storm '  (Matt.  viii.  26) ;  when  shall 
'  my  sorrow  be  turned  into  joy  ? '  "  (John  xvi.  20).  Then 
he  adds,  in  a  lively  sentiment  of  humility  and  confidence: 
"  I  should  have  perished  unless  the  Lord  '  had  shortened 
the  evil  days  '  (Mark  xiii.  20);  but  I  had  recourse  to  my 
support  and  ordinary  refuge,   the    Holy  Scriptures,  of 


His  Sufferings.  1 1 5 

which  I  could  recall  some  passages.  They  taught  me  to 
see  in  God  His  goodness,  and  made  me  alive  to  the  fact 
that  although  deprived  of  all  aids  of  piety,  'the  just  man 
liveth  by  faith  '  (Heb.  x.  38).  I  often  pondered  on  these 
words:  'I  followed  the  running  waters'  (Ps.  i.  3)  to  en- 
deavor to  quench  my  thirst  (2  Esd.  ix.  20).  On  the  law  of 
the  Lord  I  meditated  day  and  night  (Ps.  i.  2),  for  'un- 
less Thy  law  had  been  my  meditation,  I  had  then 
perhaps  perished  in  my  abjection'  (Ps.  cxviii.  92);  and 
'perhaps  the  water  had  swallowed  us  up'  (Ps.  cxxiii.  4). 

"  But  '  Blessed  be  the  Lord,  who  hath  not  given  us  to 
be  a  prey  to  the  teeth '  (Ps.  cxxiii.  6)  of  my  enemies, 
'for  now  their  hour  seemed  come  and  the  power  of 
darkness'  (Luke  xxii.  53).  'I  was  pressed  out  of  meas- 
ure above  my  strength,  so  that  I  was  weary  even  of  life' 
(2  Cor.  i.  8).  Meanwhile  I  repeated  with  Job,  but  in 
another  sense,  'Although  God  should  kill  me,  I  will 
trust  in  Him  '  "  (Job  xiii.  15). 

In  this  state  of  bodily  suffering  and  spiritual  desola- 
tion, Father  Jogues'  sole  comfort  was  to  retire  to  a  little 
rustic  oratory,  which  he  had  constructed  in  the  woods,  a 
short  distance  from  the  cabin.  Hither  he  repaired  as 
soon  as  he  had  done  his  work  as  a  slave,  by  laying  in  a 
stock  of  wood  for  the  day,  and  here,  without  fire  or  any 
shelter  but  some  fir  branches  to  shield  him  against  the 
wind,  he  spent  whole  hours  kneeling  in  the  snow  to  con- 
verse with  his  God,  at  the  foot  of  a  large  cross  which  he 
had  cut  in  the  bark  of  a  tree.  There  he  meditated  and 
prayed,  read  the  "  Following  of  Christ,"  and  roused  him- 
self to  a  holy  fervor,  by  thinking  that  he  was  almost 
alone  in  loving  and  honoring  the  true  God  in  that  vast 
country. 

He  did  even  more.  Like  a  good  religious,  he  endeav- 
ored to  follow  as  well  as  he  could  all  the  pious  exercises 
of  community  life,  and  as  it  was  just  the  time  when  he 
usually  made  his  annual  spiritual  retreat,  he  devoted  a 
certain  number  of  days  to  perform  its  holy  exercises. 


1 1 6  Life  of  Father  Jogites. 

Meanwhile  the  Indians  had  noticed  his  long  and  fre- 
quent absence.  Accustomed  to  misinterpret  all  he  did, 
they  watched  and  followed  him  to  make  sure  that  he  was 
not  performing  some  witchcraft  to  injure  them.  They 
did  not  disturb  him  when  they  saw  that  he  was  simply 
engaged  in  prayer,  but  the  young  men  amused  them- 
selves by  trying  to  distract  or  alarm  him.  They  rushed 
on  him,  brandishing  their  tomahawks  as  if  to  strike  him, 
or  fired  arrows  which  fell  around  him.  Sometimes  they 
raised  a  yell  from  behind,  as  if  to  warn  him  of  some  great 
danger;  at  others  they  cut  down  trees  near  by,  so  as  to 
graze  him  as  they  fell. 

But  nothing  could  divert  the  servant  of  God  from  his 
close  colloquies  with  Heaven.  He  renewed  his  courage, 
and  learned  by  experience  that  the  Almighty  seemed  to 
choose  that  spot  of  predilection  for  bestowing  favors  on 
him.  We  take  from  one  of  the  Latin  notes  written  by 
him  on  his  captivity  the  account  of  some  of  these  favors, 
which  proved  a  source  of  abundant  consolation  to  him. 
''While  in  the  place,"  says  he,  "which  I  had  chosen  as 
my  retreat,  I  seemed  to  be  in  the  company  of  several  of 
our  Fathers  whom  I  had  known  in  life,  and  whose  virtue 
and  merit  I  esteemed  highly.  I  preserve  a  distinct  rec- 
ollection only  of  Father  James  Bertrix,  Father  Stephen 
Binet,  and  Father  Coton  vaguely.  I  besought  them  with 
all  the  ardor  of  my  soul  to  commend  me  to  the  Cross, 
that  it  might  receive  me  as  the  disciple  of  Him  whom  it 
had  borne,  and  that  it  would  not  repulse  a  '  Citizen  of 
the  Cross.'  (This  idea  had  never  entered  my  mind  even 
in  meditation).  I  was  indeed  born  in  Orleans,  a  city 
the  cathedral  church  of  which  is  dedicated  to  the  Holy 
Cross." 

"Another  time,  in  the  same  solitude,  I  seemed,  in  my 
sleep,  to  be  transported  to  the  Cloister  of  the  Holy  Cross 
in  my  native  city.  Entering  the  store  of  a  bookseller 
whom  I  knew,  I  asked  him  whether  he  had  not  some  edi- 
fying book.     He   replied   that  he  had  one  that  he  es- 


Union  zuith  God.  1 1  7 

teemed  greatly — '  The  Lives  of  Illustrious  Men.'  I  at 
once  felt  a  great  desire  to  see  it,  asking  only  to  borrow 
it  for  a  few  days,  promising  to  return  it  as  soon  as  I  had 
read  it  in  my  room  with  two  or  three  excellent  friends. 
The  bookseller  showed  an  unwillingness  from  the  value 
he  attached  to  the  book.  During  this  time  the  persons 
present  were  talking  about  tribulations  and  misfortunes, 
and  each  one  told  what  he  had  undergone.  I  had  the 
boldness  to  say  myself,  that  I  had  suffered  something 
for  God's  sake;  but  not  seeing  the  book  come  which  I 
desired  so  much,  I  asked  one  of  the  clerks  to  go  and 
bring  it  to  me.  As  if  without  his  master's  knowledge, 
the  clerk  went  for  the  book  and  gave  it  to  me.  It  had 
scarcely  touched  my  hands  when  I  heard  a  voice  say  dis- 
tinctly, 'This  book  contains  the  lives  of  men  illustrious 
for  their  piety,  and  stout  hearts  in  war.'  *  I  felt  imbued 
with  this  thought,  that  it  is  only  '  through  many  tribula- 
tions we  must  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God '  (Acts 
xiv.  2i).  When  I  came  out  full  of  joy  with  my  book,  I 
saw  the  whole  store  full  of  crosses,  and  I  said  that  I 
would  return,  as  I  wished  to  buy  many  of  different  kinds." 
Another  day  in  the  same  place,  when  he  was  more 
than  usually  depressed  by  the  burthen  of  his  sufferings, 
and  the  contempt  which  the  Indians  showed  for  him,  as 
well  as  by  the  remorse  of  conscience  and  the  anguish  of  his 
soul,  he  had  the  following  dream:  "  I  distinctly  heard 
a  voice,  which  reproached  me  for  my  perplexity,  and 
recommended  me  to  '  think  of  the  Lord  '  only  '  in  good- 
ness' (Wis.  i.  i),  blindly  'casting  all  my  care  upon  Him' 
(i  Pet.  v.  7).  This,  too,  was  the  advice  of  St.  Bernard,  ad- 
dressed to  his  monks  :  '  Serve  the  Lord  with  that  feeling 
of  love  which  casteth  out  fear,  and  does  not  even  re- 
gard the  merit.'  These  two  counsels,"  continues  Father 
Jogues,  "  suited  my  case,  for  I  was  giving  way  to  ex- 
cessive fear,  but  it  was   servile,  not  filial.     I  lacked  con- 

*  Illustres  pietate  viros  et  fortia  bello 
Pectora.  Virgil. 


1 1 8  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

fidence  in  God.  I  was  distressed  to  see  myself  hurried 
to  judgment  almost  in  the  midst  of  my  course,  without 
sending  any  good  work  before  me,  while  I  could  but  feel 
greatly  saddened  by  my  numerous  infidelities  to  God. 

"The  effect  of  these  words  was  to  rouse  my  courage 
and  fill  me  with  such  love  for  God,  that  in  my  trans- 
port, even  before  I  awoke,  I  added  these  words  of  St. 
Bernard  :  *  Not  unreasonably  does  He  ask  our  life,  who 
first  ofave  us  His  own.' 

"These  pious  thoughts  so  expanded  my  heart,  that 
when  the  Indians  proposed  to  return  to  the  village,  where 
I  expected  to  meet  death,  I  set  out  full  of  joy." 

This  homeward  march  soon  began.  The  servant  of 
God  himself  suggested  it  when  he  saw  that  his  masters 
seemed  loath  to  put  up  with  him.  He  knew  well  that 
his  charity  and  zeal  would  find  opportunity  for  their  ex- 
ercise in  the  village.  He  accordingly  asked  permission 
to  go  back  with  some  of  the  Indians,  and  his  masters 
consented  readily,  as  much  to  get  rid  of  him,  as  to  profit 
by  his  journey,  making  him  carry  to  their  friends  a  good 
load  of  dried  meat. 

Father  Jogues  submitted  without  a  word  to  all  they  re- 
quired, and  started,  loaded  like  a  beast  of  burden.  But  if 
this  eight  days'  march  on  foot  through  the  snows  of  Jan- 
uary, and  so  loaded  down,  was  painful  for  nature,  it  was 
compensated  by  its  influence  on  the  heart  of  the  apostle. 

In  this  party  was  a  woman  carrying  a  heavy  load  on 
her  back,  and  also  a  young  child.  They  came  to  a  deep 
and  rapid  torrent,  which  in  that  rigorous  cold  they 
could  not  attempt  to  cross  by  swimming.  Fortunately 
there  was  a  sort  of  bridge  near,  such  as  Indians  un- 
derstand making.  It  consisted  of  a  tall  pine  tree  which 
they  had  cut  down,  adroitly  directing  its  descent  so 
that  it  crossed  from  one  bank  to  the  other.  The  In- 
dians boldly  crossed  this  narrow  path,  but  the  poor 
woman,  encumbered  by  her  double  burden,  and  alarmed 
at  the  swaying  of  this  unsteady  bridge,  lost  her  balance 


A   Winter  March.  119 

and  fell  into  the  water.  At  that  moment  the  strap  which 
held  her  pack  on  her  back,  and  which  as  usual  passed 
over  her  forehead,  slipped  down  to  her  neck,  and  choked 
her  so  that  she  could  do  nothing  to  save  herself. 

Father  Jogues  was  following  close  behind.  Seeing  her 
fall,  and  her  danger,  he  did  not  hesitate  a  moment  or 
stop  to  count  its  risk  to  himself,  but  sprang  into  the 
water.  By  his  courage  and  dexterity,  he  fortunately 
reached  her  and  drew  mother  and  child  to  the  shore.  It 
was  none  too  soon,  for  the  child  was  well-nigh  drowned. 
The  missionary  hastened  to  regenerate  it  in  the  waters  of 
baptism,  and  two  days  after  its  little  soul  went  to  heaven 
to  pray  for  its  deliverer. 

Another  of  the  missionary's  companions  on  this  jour- 
ney was,  though  he  did  not  recognize  him,  the  old  man 
who  had  instigated  good  Rene's  death.  On  the  way, 
won  doubtless  by  the  virtue  of  the  man  of  God,  he 
showed  compassion  for  his  condition.  He  one  day  in- 
vited him  to  share  his  meal  ;  but  when  he  saw  the  mis- 
sionary, before  beginning  to  eat,  make  the  sign  of  the 
cross  and  pray,  he  said  earnestly,  "  Do  not  do  that  :  the 
Dutch  have  told  us  that  that  sign  is  good  for  nothing,  and 
we  hate  that  action  as  they  do.  It  caused  your  comrade 
to  be  killed,  and  will  bring  you  to  the  same  fate."  "  No 
matter,"  replied  the  missionary  firmly,  "  I  shall  never 
cease  to  make  it,  because  the  Author  of  Life  approves  of 
it.     Come  what  will,  I  am  ready  to  die." 

This  resolute  and  frank  liberty  silenced  the  Indian, 
and  instead  of  being  offended  at  Father  Jogues,  he  con- 
tinued to  show  him  kindness.  It  is  a  glory  of  virtue 
that  it  can  triumph  over  its  enemies. 

On  reaching  the  village,  and  executing  the  orders 
which  he  had  received,  Father  Jogues'  first  care  was  to 
seek  to  obtain  some  clothes  not  only  to  resist  the  rigor- 
ous cold,  but  also  to  conform  to  rules  of  decency.  He 
had  no  alternative  but  to  assume  the  character  of  one  of 
Christ's  poor.     He  went  from   cabin   to  cabin  begging 


I20  Life  of  Father  Jogices. 

something  to  cover  him.  In  almost  every  one  he  met  with 
nothing  but  insults  and  jeers.  Yet  one  Indian  did  fling 
him  a  ragged  old  cloth;  but  a  Dutchman  who  was  just 
then  on  a  trading  visit  to  the  Mohawks,  struck  with  ad- 
miration at  so  much  virtue  and  so  much  suffering,  ob- 
tained for  him  a  suitable  dress. 

The  servant  of  God  felt  his  destitution  all  the  more 
keenly,  because  he  saw  the  Indians  every  day  wrapped 
up,  in  the  most  grotesque  way,  in  all  the  stuffs  and  clothes 
they  found  in  the  packages  intended  for  the  Huron  Mis- 
sion. The  sacred  vestments  had  not  been  spared  more 
than  the  rest,  and  this  profanation  deeply  grieved  his 
heart.  He  saw  one  Indian  who  had  made  himself  leggins* 
from  the  knee  to  the  ankle  of  two  veils  intended  for  cov- 
ering the  chalice  at  Holy  Mass. 

Father  Jogues  did  not  enjoy  a  long  rest  at  the  village. 
Those  to  whom  he  had  brought  presents  from  the  hunt- 
ing party  wished  to  show  their  gratitude,  and  saw  no 
better  way  than  to  send  the  bearer  back  with  a  good 
supply  of  corn. 

It  was  hard  for  this  man,  exhausted  by  suffering  and 
privation,  to  make  the  long  march  again,  and  return  to 
a  position  of  which  he  knew  all  the  hardship.  But 
Father  Jogues  regarded  his  slavery  only  with  the  eyes  of 
faith,  and  without  yielding  to  the  repugnance  of  nature, 
he  prepared  to  obey.  Not  only  was  the  load  assigned  to 
him  altogether  beyond  his  strength,  but  the  ground  was 
covered  with  a  glare  of  ice  that  made  progress  almost 
impossible.  He  set  out,  but  slipped  at  every  step,  and 
fell  frequentl}^,  without  advancing  on  his  journey.  After 
useless  efforts  he  saw  that  he  could  never  reach  the  hunt- 
ing camp  and  resolved  to  return. 

Without  giving  him  credit  for  his  good -will,  or  consid- 
ering the  difficulty  of  travelling,  the  Indians  loaded  him 
with  taunts  and  insults.    They  called  him  lazy,  good-for- 


*  Indians  are  fond  of  adorning  these  richly. 


His  StrejKjth  Fails.  121 


i» 


nothing,  deformed.  They  even  reproached  liim  with  the 
scanty  fare  they  allowed  him.  The  servant  of  God  bore 
it  all  with  humble  resignation,  and  without  a  reply. 

He  submitted  even  more  willingly,  when  the  Indians, 
to  make  his  presence  useful,  assigned  to  him  a  task  of 
which  they  had  long  wished  to  rid  themselves.  They 
appointed  him  to  nurse  a  sick  man  whose  body  was  one 
ulcer.  The  stench  he  exhaled  and  the  horror  he  inspired 
drove  all  the  Indians  from  him.  This  made  him  an  ob- 
ject dear  to  the  man  of  God,  and  what  made  his  sacri- 
fice more  meritorious  was  the  fact  that  he  recognized  in 
this  man  the  one  who  had  treated  him  so  inhumanly 
when  he  entered  the  first  Mohawk  town,  and  who  had  torn 
out  his  nails.  Father  Jogues  saw  in  this  but  a  greater  mo- 
tive for  remaining  by  him,  and  showing  by  his  care  what 
Christian  charity  can  do. 

However,  the  people  of  the  cabin  to  which  Father 
Jogues  belonged,  on  returning  from  their  winter  hunt 
called  him  back  to  work  for  them.  Their  manner  toward 
him  had  somewhat  improved.  His  host's  mother,  whom 
he  called  "aunt,"  especially  showed  kindness  to  him. 
She  began  to  admire  and  respect  virtue  such  as  had 
hitherto  been  unknown  among  these  Indians.  At  last 
the  other  Indians  gradually  left  him  in  peace,  either  tir- 
ing of  this  prolonged  persecution,  or  coming  at  last  to 
esteem  him,  overcome  by  his  heroic  patience. 

As  soon  as  Father  Jogues  saw  calm  restored  around 
him,  and  found  his  masters  exact  less  labor  from  him, 
he  resumed  his  duties  as  a  missionar^^  His  first  care  was 
to  acquire  the  language  of  the  people  thoroughly.  This 
would  enable  him  to  make  his  presence  among  them  use- 
ful, and  fit  him  to  become  their  future  apostle.  He  de- 
voted himself  to  study  with  great  ardor,  and  as  his  own- 
er's cabin  was  a  general  meeting-place,  where  the  public 
affairs  not  only  of  the  town,  but  in  fact  of  the  tribe,  were 
discussed,  he  found  opportunity  to  speak  in  regard  to 
the  faith  and  doctrines  of  the  gospel  with  all  the  older 


12  2  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

men  of  the  tribe.  They  plied  him  with  questions  as  to 
the  sun,  the  moon,  the  figures  seen  on  its  face  ;  on  the 
size  of  the  earth  and  of  the  ocean,  the  tides,  etc.  They 
wished  to  know  whether  there  was  not  a  place  where  the 
heavens  touched  the  earth,  whether  heaven  was  a  solid 
vault ;  and  question  followed  question  without  end. 

The  missionary  endeavored  to  reply  by  adapting  his 
explanation  to  their  comprehension,  and  his  answers  ex- 
cited their  admiration  wonderfully.  He  heard  them  say, 
"  How  we  should  have  missed  it  if  we  had  killed  this  pris- 
oner, as  we  have  so  often  been  on  the  point  of  doing  !" 
These  conversations  afforded  the  servant  of  God  an  op- 
portunity of  raising  their  minds  by  degrees  from  crea- 
tures to  a  knowledge  of  the  Creator,  and  of  refuting  their 
absurd  traditions,  which  ascribed  the  origin  of  the  world 
to  a  tortoise.  He  gradually  grew  so  bold  as  to  tell  them 
that  the  sun  was  not  only  not  a  God,  or  endowed  with 
mind  and  life,  but  that  if,  delighted  with  its  beauty,  they 
took  it  to  be  a  God,  they  should  know  how  much  the 
Lord  of  it  is  more  beautiful  than  it  (Wisd.  xiii.  3).  He 
showed  them  that  their  Aireskoi  was  only  a  demon,  and 
the  father  of  lies,  by  pretending  to  be  the  author  and  pre- 
server of  life  and  all  good  things. 

If  faith  required  of  man  only  conviction  of  the  mind. 
Father  Jogues  would  easily  have  won  a  complete  triumph; 
but  he  found  his  teaching  obstructed  by  the  powerful 
chains  of  the  passions,  superstitious  habits,  and  the  in- 
tense aversion  Indians  feel  for  everything  that  is  new. 
The}?-  readily  admitted  that  he  was  right;  but  as  to  adopt- 
ing his  teaching,  they  often  would  merely  tell  him  :  "All 
that  is  good  for  you,  who  live  beyond  the  great  lake 
[ocean],  but  not  for  us." 

The  devil,  who  had  till  then  ruled  as  undisputed  lord 
over  this  vast  country,  saw  himself  attacked,  as  it  were, 
in  his  last  lines,  and  redoubled  his  efforts  to  check  the 
conquests  of  the  Faith. 

Yet,  slave  as  he  was,  the   apostolic  ministry  of  Father 


Talks  with  the  Sachems,  1 2 


o 


Jogues  was  not  exercised  in  vain.  The  Almighty  King  of 
these  nations,  as  of  all  others  on  earth,  was  already  choos- 
ing His  elect  among  them:  not  only  among  the  children, 
numbers  of  whom  were  baptized  by  the  servant  of  God 
when  in  danger  of  death,  but  also  among  the  adults,  sev- 
eral of  whom  became  docile  to  the  voice  of  grace,  and 
sought  the  sacrament  of  regeneration.  This  was  especi- 
ally the  case  among  the  sick,  who  saw  their  last  hour 
approach,  and  also  among  the  wretched  victims  of  war, 
condemned  to  undergo  the  horrors  of  the  stake. 

These  labors  did  not  satisfy  the  zeal  of  Father  Jogues. 
Availing  himself  of  the  partial  liberty  allowed  him  by  his 
owners,  he  visited  the  Huron  captives  in  the  neighboring 
towns,  where,  like  the  faithful  Israelites,  these  Christians 
refused  to  bend  the  knee  before  Baal.  He  comforted 
them  and  sustained  them  by  his  pious  counsels,  and  by 
enabling  them  to  approach  the  sacrament  of  penance. 
How  often  he  had  reason  to  bless  God  when  he  beheld 
the  salutary  fruit  which  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  had 
already  produced!  He  found  hearts  imbued  with  Chris- 
tianity only  for  a  few  days,  yet  gifted  with  admirable 
purity,  unshaken  constancy,  and  a  heroic  resignation  to 
God's  will. 

After  spending  two  months  in  these  pious  exercises, 
Father  Jogues  was  compelled  to  go  on  another  journey. 
It  was  the  season  for  fishing.  He  set  out  with  his  "  aunt" 
and  two  other  Indians.  His  duties  were  the  same  as  on 
the  hunting  excursion,  but  his  treatment  was  much 
milder.  The  fishing  party  halted  on  the  banks  of  a  little 
lake  only  four  days'  march  from  the  town.'^ 

The  fish  caught  here  were  very  small,  but  generally 
very  abundant,  though  few  at  this  time.  They  laid  them 
up  carefully  for  their  summer  supply,  after  cleaning  and 
smoking  them.  They  took  as  food  at  the  time  only  the 
intestmes,    which    they    used    to    season    their    hommy. 

*  This  was  undoubtedly  Saratoga  Lake. 


124  ^^f^  of  Father  Jogues. 

But  Father  Jogues  was  by  this  time  inured  to  such 
fare,  and  he  adds  with  simplicity  when  describing  it, 
''  Custom,  hunger,  and  want  of  everything  renders  toler- 
able at  least,  if  not  agreeable,  what  nature  often  revolts 
at." 

These  excursions,  away  from  the  towns  and  the  noise 
of  the  Iroquois,  always  had  a  charm  for  the  servant  of 
God.  They  afforded  him  time  and  opportunity  for 
greater  union  with  God.  "  How  often  in  these  journeys," 
he  writes,  "  and  in  that  quiet  wilderness,  'did  we  sit  by 
the  rivers  of  Babylon,  and  weep  while  we  remembered 
thee,  Sion  '  (Ps.  cxxxvi.  i.)  not  only  exulting  that  Sion 
in  heaven,  but  even  thee,  Jerusalem,  praising  thy  God  on 
earth.  '  How  often,  though  in  a  strange  land,  did  we  sing 
the  canticle  of  the  Lord,'  and  mountain  and  wildwood 
resounded  with  the  praises  of  their  Maker,  which  from 
their  creation  they  had  never  heard  !  How  often  on  the 
stately  trees  of  the  forest  did  I  carve  the  most  sacred 
name  of  Jesus,  that  seeing  it  the  demons  might  fly,  who 
tremble  when  they  hear  it  !  How  often,  too,  did  I  not 
strip  off  the  bark  to  form  on  them  the  Most  Holy  Cross 
of  the  Lord,  that  the  foe  might  fly  before  it,  and  that  by 
it  Thou,  O  Lord  my  King,  *  mightest  reign  in  the  midst 
of  Thy  enemies ' — the  enemies  of  Thy  cross,  the  mis- 
believers and  the  pagans  who  dwell  in  that  land,  and  the 
demons  who  rule  so  powerfully  there!  I  rejoiced,  too, 
that  I  had  been  led  by  the  Lord  into  the  wilderness,  at 
the  very  time  when  the  Church  recalls  the  story  of  His 
Passion,  so  that  I  might  more  uninterruptedly  remember 
the  course  of  its  bitterness  and  gall,  and  my  soul  pine 
away  at  the  remembrance"  (Jer.  iii.  20). 

As  in  his  first  excursion  he  had  made  a  little  oratory  of 
branches  in  the  woods  at  the  foot  of  a  huge  tree,  on 
which  he  had  traced  the  form  of  the  cross;  hither,  as 
soon  as  his  work  as  a  slave  was  done,  he  returned  to  com- 
mune with  his  God.  "But,"  adds  the  pious  missionary, 
"I  was  not  long  allowed  to  enjoy  this  holy  repose:  in- 


His  Devotions.  125 

deed,  too  many  days  had  I  passed,  unharmed  by  my 
wonted  terrors." 

In  fact  a  messenger  had  just  come  from  the  village  to 
warn  the  fishing-party  that  Algonquins  had  been  seen 
prowling  around,  and  that  they  must  return  in  haste  to 
escape  the  danger.  Tiiis  alarm  was  merely  a  stratagem 
invented  to  bring  the  missionary  back  to  the  village, 
where  all  preparations  had  been  made  to  put  him  to 
death. 

The  most  unfavorable  rumors  were  circulating  as  to 
the  fate  of  a  band  of  ten  Mohawk  warriors  who  had 
been  out  for  a  long  time,  and  of  whom  there  were  no 
tidings.  A  neighboring  tribe  asserted  that  they  had  be- 
come victims  to  the  cruelty  of  their  enemies,  and  this 
news  was  confirmed  by  a  prisoner  who  had  recently  fal- 
len into  the  hands  of  the  Iroquois.  They  immediately 
sacrificed  him  to  the  shade  of  one  of  the  young  warriors 
for  whom  they  mourned,  and  who  was  a  son  of  the 
master  of  the  cabin  to  which  Father  Jogues  belonged  ; 
but  this  victim  did  not  seem  noble  enough  in  the  eyes 
of  the  grief-stricken  father:  he  wished  the  missionary 
also  sacrificed. 

His  fate  was  decided;  and  the  day  of  our  Saviour's 
death  would  also  have  been  his  last,  had  not  God,  who 
had  so  often  led  him  to  the  gates  of  death  to  draw  him 
back  as  if  by  a  miracle,  permitted  them  to  learn  in  time 
that  the  warriors  were  returning  with  twenty  Abnaki 
captives,  and  that  they  were  within  a  day's  march  of  the 
town. 

The  missionary  was  no  longer  thought  of,  and  on  the 
arrival  of  the  victors  there  was  nothing  but  festivity  and 
rejoicing.  Five  of  the  prisoners  were  doomed  to  the 
most  fearful  tortures,  the  women  and  children  being  re- 
served for  slavery.  These  unhappy  victims  became  im- 
mediately the  object  of  the  missionary's  ardent  zeal. 
He  knew  only  a  few  w^ords  of  their  language,  but  one  of 
the   prisoners   who    spoke   Huron   acted  as   interpreter. 


126  Life  of  Father  Jogites. 

He  instructed  them  without  delay,  and  succeeded  in 
baptizing  them  before  their  execution,  which  took  place 
at  Easter-tide. 

This  hideous  spectacle  was  renewed  at  Pentecost. 
Three  young  women  and  some  children  were  brought 
in,  for  the  men  had  been  killed  in  the  battle.  These 
poor  creatures,  stripped  of  their  clothing,  were  mutilated 
and  beaten  as  they  entered  the  village.  One  of  them 
was  even,  contrary  to  custom,  burned  all  over  the  body, 
and  then  thrown  on  an  immense  pyre.  She  was  in- 
structed in  the  faith,  and  Father  Jogues  was  on  the  alert 
for  an  opportunity  to  baptize  her.  Seeing  her  on  the 
point  of  expiring,  he  ran  up  to  her  in  the  midst  of  the 
flames,  as  if  going  to  give  her  a  drink  of  water,  and 
poured  on  her  head  the  saving  water,  which  cleansed  her 
and  secured  her  everlasting  happiness. 

Father  Jogues  witnessed  on  this  occasion  idolatrous 
practices  of  a  character  new  to  him,  and  of  unheard 
cruelty.  Every  time  that  the  fire  was  applied  to  the 
body  of  this  poor  woman,  one  of  the  sachems  raised  his 
voice,  crying,  "  Aireskoi,  we  offer  thee  this  victim,  which 
we  burn  in  thy  honor.  Sate  thyself  on  her  flesh,  and 
make  us  ever  victorious  over  our  enemies."  Her  body, 
cut  up,  was  distributed  through  the  different  villages 
and  eaten. 

This  bloody  sacrifice  was  apparently,  in  the  eyes  of 
the  Iroquois,  a  reparation  due  their  god,  and  the  fulfil- 
ment of  a  vow.  They  believed  that  they  had  incurred 
his  displeasure,  because  they  had  not  eaten  human  flesh 
for  six  months;  and  in  a  solemn  sacrifice  of  two  bears, 
which  they  made  in  his  honor,  Father  Jogues  heard 
them,  and  not  without  a  shudder,  utter  these  words: 
"  Justly  dost  thou  punish  us,  O  Aireskoi !  Lo  !  this 
long  time  we  have  taken  no  captives.  .  .  .  We  have 
sinned  against  thee  in  that  we  ate  not  the  last  captives 
thrown  into  our  hands;  but,  if  we  shall  ever  again  cap- 


A  Sacrifice  to  A  ireskoi.  1 2  7 

ture  any,  we  promise  thee  to  devour  them  as  we  now 
consume  these  two  bears." 

These  sad  scenes  were  frequently  repeated  at  this  time 
before  the  eyes  of  Father  Jogues,  and  they  plunged  his 
soul  into  the  deepest  affliction.  But,  in  the  hope  of 
being  useful  to  these  unfortunate  victims,  he  remained 
to  attend  them  in  their  tortures,  neglecting  no  means  to 
sustain  and  encourage  them  by  thoughts  of  faith. 

In  a  profound  sentiment  of  humility  he  looked  upon 
himself  as  the  cause  of  all  these  woes.  "  I  certainly," 
says  he,  "felt  in  my  own  person  this  punishment  de- 
served for  my  sins,  and  pronounced  of  old  by  God  to  His 
people  when  He  said  'their  solemnities,  their  new-moons, 
and  all  their  festival-times'  .  .  .  *  shall  be  turned  into 
mourning  and  lamentation'  (Osee  ii.  11;  Amos  viii.  10), 
as  Easter,  and  Whitsuntide,  and  the  Nativity  of  St.  John 
the  Baptist  each  brought  sorrows  on  me,  which  increased 
to  agony.'  .  .  .  '  Wo  is  me,  wherefore  was  I  born  to  see 
the  ruin  of  my  people  ? '  (i  Mach.  ii.  7.)  Verily,  in  these 
and  like  heartrending  cares,  'my  life  is  wasted  with  grief, 
and  my  years  with  sighs'  (Ps.  xxx.  2);  'for  the  Lord 
hath  corrected  me  for  mine  iniquity  and  hath  made  my 
soul  waste  away  as  a  spider'  (xxxviii.  12).  'He  hath 
filled  me  with  bitterness,  he  hath  inebriated  me  with 
wormwood  '  (Lament,  iii.  i^);  'because  the  comforter, 
the  relief  of  my  soul,  is  far  from  me'  (i.  16);  '  but  in  all 
these  things  we  overcome,'  and  by  the  favor  of  God  will 
overcome,  '  because  of  Him  that  hath  loved  us '  (Rom. 
viii.  37),  until  '  He  come  that  is  to  come,  and  will  not 
delay '  (Heb.  x.  37);  '  until  my  day  like  that  of  a  hireling 
come'  (Job  vii.  i),  or  'my  change  be  made'  (xiv.  14)." 


128  Life  of  Father  fogues. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

Steps  taken  by  the  Chevalier  de  Montmagny  to  deliver  Father 
Jogues— The  Missionary's  Letters  — His  Resignation —A 
Journey — Unexpected  Meeting — Consolation. 

^HE  deepest  anxiety  prevailed  for  a  long  time  at 
Quebec  as  to  the  fate  of  Father  Jogues.  The  re- 
port of  his  death  spread,  and  even  reached  France, 
where  it  produced  the  deepest  impression.  He  was 
mourned  for  by  his  family  and  fellow-religious,  who  yet 
envied  his  happiness  and  his  glory. 

The  news  that  he  was  still  alive  was  brought  to  Que- 
bec by  a  Huron  who  had  shared  his  captivity,  Joseph 
Theondechoren,  to  whom  allusion  has  already  been  made. 
This  good  Christian  had  followed  his  owners  in  an  ex- 
cursion which  they  made  to  the  banks  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence. There  he  succeeded  in  baffling  their  vigilance, 
and  escaped  from  their  hands.  After  a  series  of  hard- 
ships and  dangers,  he  reached  Three  Rivers. 

The  Chevalier  de  Montmagny,  anxious  to  learn  what 
was  going  on  in  the  Iroquois  country,  and  especially  to 
obtain  tidings  of  Father  Jogues,  summoned  the  fugitive 
before  him.  The  detailed  and  affecting  story  of  the  suf- 
ferings undergone  by  the  man  of  God,  and  the  danger 
which  still  hourly  threatened  him,  affected  the  Governor 
all  the  more,  because  he  felt  himself  utterly  unable  to 
rescue  him.  The  re-enforcements  expected  from  France 
had  not  arrived,  and  he  feared  that  any  vigorous  action 
against  such  bold  enemies,  instead  of  intimidating  them, 
if  they  were  not  crushed,  would  only  increase  their  exas- 
peration and  hasten  the  death  of  all  the  prisoners.     He 


The  French  Learn  His  Conditio7i.         129 

wished,  at  all  hazards,  to  save  the  life  of  a  missionary 
whose  virtue  and  experience  might  prove  so  useful  in 
winning  over  these  savages.  He  accordingly  sought  a 
favorable  opportunity  for  treating  prudently  this  delicate 
matter,  and  when  he  found  one  shortly  after,  he  seized 
it,  but  without  avail. 

On  the  19th  of  October,  1642,  a  Sokoki*  Indian,  highly 
esteemed  in  his  tribe,  was  taken  by  the  Algonquins  near 
Three  Rivers.  They  condemned  him  to  pass  through 
all  the  horrors  of  Indian  torture.  They  had  already 
torn  out  his  nails  and  cut  off  two  of  his  fingers;  one  of  his 
feet  had  been  pierced  with  a  sharp  stick,  and  his  whole 
body  had  been  seamed  with  awls.  Four  young  men  had 
tied  his  wrists  with  running  knots,  and  drew  it  so  cruelly 
that  the  flesh  was  cut  to  the  bone.  The  pain  was  so 
intense  that,  notwithstanding  his  apparent  impassibility, 
he  fell  unconscious,  and  did  not  come  to  till  water  had 
been  thrown  in  his  face. 

As  soon  as  the  Governor  heard  of  the  prisoner's  arrival 
at  Sillery,  he  hastened  there  with  the  intention  of  rescu- 
ing him  from  death.  A  motive  of  humanity  and  religion 
prompted  his  interference  to  prevent  this  act  of  cruel 
barbarity,  and,  independently  of  this,  he  had  another 
motive,  as  worthy  of  his  heart  as  of  his  faith.  By  means 
of  this  prisoner,  whose  nation  was  in  alliance  with  the 
Iroquois,  he  hoped  to  obtain  the  deliverance  of  the  mis- 
sionary, whose  wretched  fate  the  whole  colony  and  the 
very  Indians  deplored.  The  Chevalier  de  Montmagny 
accordingly  asked  and  obtained  the  freedom  of  this 
captive. 

The  Hospital  Nuns  received  the  unfortunate  man  into 
their  establishment  at  Sillery.  His  wounds  were  in  a 
horrible  condition;  worms  and  putrefaction  made  him 
an  object  of  disgust  and  pity;  but  the  case  did  not  baffle 
the  motherly  care  of  active  charity. 

■*  A  tribe  living  near  the  western  border  of  Maine. 


130  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

When  the  patient,  cured  of  his  wounds,  was  able  to 
travel,  he  was  loaded  with  presents,  and  the  only  return 
asked  of  him  was  that  he  should  urge  the  chiefs  of  his 
tribe  to  interpose  with  their  allies,  the  Iroquois,  in  order 
to  obtain  the  liberation  of  Father  Jogues. 

After  having  been  so  near  death,  the  Sokoki  returned 
to  his  country,  full  of  joy,  to  relate  all  the  kindness  and 
liberality  shown  him.  Praise  of  Onontio,  the  great  chief 
of  the  French,  and  of  the  black-gowns  was  constantly 
on  his  lips,  and  all  who  heard  him  soon  began  to  share 
his  gratitude.  For,  brutish  as  they  were,  these  Indians 
warmly  entered  into  the  feelings  of  one  of  their  tribe, 
when  gratitude  was  to  be  shown  for  a  favor  or  vengeance 
taken  for  a  wrong. 

The  Sokokis  proved  it.  Every  man  felt  indebted  to 
the  generous  benefactors  of  their  countryman,  and  they 
prepared  at  once  to  carry  out  his  wishes.  A  solemn 
embassy  set  out  in  the  month  of  April  to  ask  the  Mohawks 
to  set  Father  Jogues  free,  and  they  offered  the  usual 
presents  to  give  weight  to  their  words. 

The  Mohawks  received  the  deputies  with  tlie  usual 
ceremonial  in  a  public  audience.  The  Sokoki  orator 
detailed  at  length  the  object  of  his  coming,  and  the 
claims  of  the  French  on  their  friendship.  His  natural 
eloquence  inspired  him  with  arguments  best  able  to 
produce  an  impression,  and  he  concluded  by  saying, 
"  My  tribe  think  that  they  cannot  do  too  much  to  please 
men  so  generous,  and  as  they  know  how  highly  the 
French  esteem  Ondesonk,  here  is  a  belt  of  many  thou- 
sand beads  of  wampum  to  cut  his  bonds."  With  these 
words  he  produced  a  letter  from  the  Governor  of  Quebec, 
which  he  solemnly  placed  in  the  hands  of  Father  Jogues, 
with  every  mark  of  respect  and  esteem. 

The  next  day  the  Mohawk  sachems  assembled  to 
deliberate  and  announce  their  reply.  It  was  not  long 
delayed,  and  it  justified  their  reputation  for  perfidy  and 


The  Sokoki  Embassy.  131 

cunning:  they  accepted  the  presents  and  promised  to  set 
the  prisoner  at  liberty,  and  they  said  that  they  claimed 
for  themselves  the  honor  of  escorting  Father  Jogues  back 
to  the  French  colony,  but  that  they  could  not  do  so  just 
at  that  moment.  These  words  were  only  a  new  decep- 
tion. They  were  forgotten  as  soon  as  the  ambassadors 
departed. 

Yet  the  demonstration  of  the  Sokokis  on  behalf  of 
Father  Jogues  had  not  been  altogether  fruitless.  It  ex- 
alted considerably  in  the  eyes  of  the  Iroquois  the  import- 
ance of  the  missionary,  and  they  began  to  treat  him  with 
more  respect. 

If  public  dangers  seemed  thus  provided  against, 
Father  Jogues  was  not  yet  safe  from  private  hate  or  ven- 
geance. One  day  he  saw  a  half-crazy  Indian  enter  his 
cabin,  who  rushed  upon  him  and  dealt  him  two  blows  on 
the  head  with  a  war-club.  The  missionary  was  struck 
to  the  ground;  and  if  the  assassin's  arm  raised  for  a  third 
blow  had  not  been  checked,  his  life  would  have  ended 
there.  The  guilty  man  retired  calmly,  without  punish- 
ment or  even  a  reproach. 

The  only  satisfaction  that  the  servant  of  God  received 
was  the  tears  of  his  aunt,  whose  devotedness  and  affec- 
tion seemed  to  increase  daily,  while  she  lamented  her 
inability  to  protect  him.  When  she  could  foresee  a  dan- 
ger, she  never  lost  a  moment  in  warning  him  and  aiding 
him  to  escape  it;  but  as  she  was  in  constant  apprehension 
that  he  would  be  suddenly  attacked,  and  saw  that  the 
sachems  had  really  no  intention  of  keeping  the  promise 
they  had  made  to  the  Sokokis,  she  at  last  advised  Father 
Jogues  to  escape,  as  the  only  means  of  ending  his  fearful 
captivity,  and  almost  certain  death. 

It  was  not,  however,  his  own  deliverance  that  preoccu- 
pied Father  Jogues;  above  that  he  held  the  interest  of 
religion  and  his  country,  and  he  soon  bore  noble  testi- 
mony to  this  heroic  feeling. 


132  Ltf^  of  Father  Jogiies, 

Having  learned  that  other  steps  were  proposed  for  his 
relief,  he  desired  his  state  of  mind  to  be  clearly  known; 
and  listening  only  to  patriotism,  he  resolved  to  write  to 
the  Governor  of  Canada,  and  suggest  measures  which 
might  prove  fatal  to  himself,  but  which  were  most 
advantageous  to  the  colony.  Providence  afforded  him  a 
favorable  opportunity  of  transmitting  his  letter  to  the 
banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence. 

During  the  summer  a  party  of  warriors  from  his  vil- 
lage prepared  to  march  to  the  banks  of  the  great  river 
in  order  to  lie  in  wait  for  the  French  and  their  allies, 
and  one  of  them  took  his  letter.  According  to  the  custom 
of  the  Indians,  he  should  have  inserted  this  letter  on  the 
cleft  top  of  a  stick,  to  be  planted  on  the  trail  usually 
taken  by  travellers.  Whatever  his  motive  was,  he  chose 
to  do  something  more.     He  approached  Fort  Richelieu. 

On  the  15th  of  August,  1643,  the  soldiers  in  the  fort 
perceived  a  solitary  Indian  approaching  them  on  the 
river.  Before  letting  him  come  near,  they  asked  his  tribe 
and  his  business.  "I  am  an  Iroquois,"  he  replied,  "and 
I  come  as  bearer  of  the  word  of  Ondesonk,  the  black- 
gown."  On  this  statement  he  was  permitted  to  enter 
freely,  and  he  really  handed  in  a  letter  of  the  missionary 
addressed  to  the  Chevalier  de  Montmagny. 

As  he  showed  a  desire  to  depart,  the  commandant  of 
the  post  compelled  him  to  wait  for  some  time,  so  as  to 
give  the  Governor  an  opportunity  to  send  back  an  answer 
to  the  missionary.  Then  a  cannon  was  fired  to  announce 
that  the  truce  was  over.  Alarmed  at  this  signal,  which 
they  took  for  an  attack  on  them,  the  Iroquois  fled  pre- 
cipitately, abandoning  their  comrade.  This,  as  we  shall 
see,  gave  new  life  to  the  hatred  against  Father  Jogues. 

His  letter  to  the  Governor  was  written  partly  in  Latin, 
partly  in  French,  and  partly  in  Huron,  so  as  to  make  it 
almost  unintelligible  if  it  fell  into  the  enemy's  hands. 
The  following  is  a  translation  of  it,  from  a  copy  pre- 
served in  the  archives  of  the  Gesu  at  Rome  : 


Lcthr  to  Canada.  133 

"  ViLLAGK  OF  THE  Iroquois,  June  30,  1643. 

"My  Lord  :  This  is  the  fourth"^  letter  I  have  written 
since  my  detention  as  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the 
Iroquois.  Time  and  paper  both  fail  me,  and  prevent 
my  repeating  here  what  I  have  said  elsewhere  at  greater 
length. 

"We  are  still  alive.  Henry,  taken  prisoner  by  the 
Iroquois  near  Montreal,  on  St.  John's  Eve,  has  been 
brought  among  us.  He  did  not  indeed  run  the  gauntlet 
on  entering  the  village,  nor  have  his  fingers  been  cut  off, 
as  ours  were.  He  and  the  Hurons  brought  in  with  him 
are  still  alive. 

"  Fear  constantly  and  everywhere  the  ambuscades  of 
these  men,  for  bands  of  braves  leave  the  village  every 
day  to  go  on  the  war-path,  and  you  must  not  think  that 
the  riverf  will  be  free  from  these  savages  before  the  end 
of  autumn. 

"They  are  here  to  the  number  of  seven  hundred;  pos- 
sess three  hundred  guns,  which  they  use  with  great  skill; 
and  know  several  routes  to  reach  the  station  of  Three 
Rivers.  Fort  Richelieu  arrests  them  indeed  somewhat, 
but  yet  does  not  entirely  prevent  their  raids. 

"  If  the  Iroquois  had  known  that  the  Sokoki  prisoner 
was  indebted  to  the  French  for  his  deliverance  from  the 
hands  of  the  Algonquins,  they  would,  they  say,  have 
spared  the  French  who  have  been  taken  and  killed  near 
Montreal.  But  it  was  already  midwinter  when  this  news 
came  to  their  knowledge. 

"  However,  a  new  party  has  just  taken  the  field.  The 
chief  is  the  very  same  who  commanded  the  expedition 
which  took  us  prisoners.  They  intend  to  attack  the 
French  no  less  than  the  Algonquins. 

"  Do  not,  I  beg  you,  take  me  personally  into  considera- 
tion, and  let  no  sympathy  for  me  prevent  your  taking 

*The  three  other  letters  mentioned  by  Father  Jogues  did  not  reach 
their  address. 

f  The  St.  Lawrence.. 


1 34  Life  of  Father  fogues. 

any  measure  that  seems  to  you  best  fitted  to  advance  the 
greater  glory  of  God. 

"  So  far  as  I  can  divine,  it  is  the  design  of  the  Iroquois 
to  capture  all  the  Hurons,  if  it  is  possible;  to  put  the 
chiefs  and  a  great  part  of  the  nation  to  death,  and  with 
the  rest  to  form  one  nation  and  one  country. 

"  I  shed  tears  over  the  lot  of  these  unfortunate  people, 
most  of  whom  are  already  Christians,  the  rest  cate- 
chumens, and  well  disposed  to  receive  baptism. 

"  When  will  it  be  possible  to  apply  a  remedy  at  last 
to  so  many  evils  ?  Perhaps  when  there  are  no  more 
prisoners  to  take. 

"  I  have  here  a  Relation*  written  by  our  Fathers  on 
what  had  occurred  among  the  Hurons,  and  some  letters 
written  by  the  same  Fathers.  The  Iroquois  captured 
them  from  the  Hurons  and  handed  them  to  me. 

"  The  Dutch  have  made  several  efforts  to  deliver  us, 
but  always  to  no  purpose.  They  are  now  renewing  their 
attempts;  but  I  think  it  will  be  with  the  same  result. 

"I  form  a  resolution,  which  daily  becomes  more  de- 
cided, to  remain  here  as  long  as  it  pleases  Our  Lord, 
and  not  to  seek  to  achieve  my  liberty,  even  if  an  oppor- 
tunity offers.  I  do  not  wish  to  deprive  the  French, 
Hurons,  and  Algonquins  of  the  benefit  they  receive  from 
my  ministry.  I  have  administered  baptism  here  to  some, 
several  of  whom  have  already  soared  to  heaven. 

"  My  only  consolation  amid  my  suffermgs  is  to  think 
of  the  most  holy  will  of  God,  to  which  I  most  willingly 
submit  mine. 

"  I  beg  your  Excellency  to  have  the  kindness  to  have 
prayers  said  and  Masses  celebrated  for  us  all,  and 
especially  for  him  who  is  in  Our  Lord, 

"  Sir,  your  most  humble  and  most  obedient  servant, 

"Isaac  Jogues, 
"  of  the  Society  of  Jesus'' 

*  It  was  the  Annual  Relation  of  the  Huron  Mission  for  1642.  It 
was  taken  by  the  Iroquois  from  a  convoy  of  Hurons,  who  were  carry- 
ing it  to  Quebec. 


His  Resolution.  135 

Father  Vincent,  the  Superior  in  Canada,  when  insert- 
ing this  letter  in  the  Relation  of  the  Missions  for  1644, 
adds  with  holy  admiration  :  "  There  is  more  juice  here 
than  words.  The  tissue  is  excellent,  although  the  hand 
that  formed  these  letters  is  all  mangled.  His  style  is 
more  sublime  than  that  which  emanates  from  the  most 
pompous  schools  of  rhetoric.  .  .  .  Although  his  words 
have  drawn  tears  from  our  eyes,  they  have  nevertheless 
increased  the  joy  of  our  hearts.  Some  of  us  rather  envy 
than  compassionate  him." 

To  this  letter,  a  beautiful  monument  of  the  ardent  zeal 
and  heroic  patriotism  of  the  servant  of  God,  we  must 
add,  as  a  complement,  the  close  of  that  from  which  we 
have  drawn  a  part  of  the  details  of  his  captivity,  and 
which  he  wrote  to  his  Provincial  in  France  on  the  5th  of 
August,  1643.  He  had  at  the  time,  while  on  a  journey 
with  his  owners,  stopped  at  the  Dutch  post  of  Rens- 
selaerswyck,  called  also  Fort  Orange.* 

"Although  I  could  in  all  probability  escape  either 
through  the  Europeans  or  the  Indian  nations  around  us, 
did  I  wish  to  fly,  yet  on  this  cross  to  which  our  Lord  has 
nailed  me,  with  Himself  (Gal.  ii.  19),  am  I  resolved  by  His 
grace  to  live  and  die.  For  who  in  my  absence  would  con- 
sole the  French  captives  ?  who  absolve  the  penitent  ?  who 
remind  the  christened  Huron  of  his  duty  ?  who  instruct 
the  prisoners  constantly  brought  in  ?  who  baptize  them 
dying,  encourage  them  in  their  torments  ?  who  cleanse 
the  infants  in  the  saving  waters  ?  who  provide  for  the 
salvation  of  the  dying  adult,  the  instruction  of  those  in 
health  ?  Indeed  I  cannot  but  think  it  a  peculiar  inter- 
position of  divine  goodness,  that  while  a  nation,  fallen 
from  the  true  Catholic  religion,  barred  the  entrance  of 
the  Faith  to  these  regions  on  one  side,  and  on  the  other, 
a  fierce  war  between  savage  nations,  and  on  their  ac- 
count with  the   French,   I   should  have  fallen  into  the 

*  Our  present  Albany. 


136  Life  of  Father  Jogites, 

hands  of  these  Indians,  who  by  the  will  of  God  reluctantly, 
and  I  may  say  against  their  will,  have  thus  far  spared 
my  life,  that  through  me,  though  unworthy,  those  might 
be  instructed,  believe,  and  be  baptized,  who  are  pre- 
destined to  eternal  life.  Since  the  time  when  I  was 
taken,  I  have  baptized  seventy  persons,  children,  young 
people  and  old,  of  five  different  nations  and  languages, 
that  of  'every  tribe,  and  people,  and  tongue,  they  might 
stand  in  the  sight  of  the  Lamb  '  (Apoc.  vii.  9). 

"  Therefore  do  I  daily  bow  my  knee  to  my  Lord  and  to 
the  Father  of  my  Lord,  that  if  it  be  for  His  glory,  He  may 
confound  all  the  designs  of  the  Europeans  and  savages 
for  ransoming  me  or  sending  me  back  to  the  whites  ;  for 
many  of  the  Indians  speak  of  my  being  restored,  and  the 
Dutch,  among  whom  I  write  this,  have  frequently  of- 
fered, and  now  again  are  offering,  to  rescue  me  and  my 
companions,  I  have  visited  them  twice,  and  have  been 
most  kindly  welcomed  ;  they  leave  no  stone  unturned  to 
effect  our  deliverance,  and  have  made  many  presents  to 
the  Indians  with  whom  I  am,  to  induce  them  to  treat  me 
humanely. 

"  But  I  am  now  weary  of  so  long  and  so  prolix  a  letter; 
I  therefore  earnestly  beg  your  Reverence  ever  to  recog- 
nize me,  though  unworthy,  as  one  of  yours;  for  though 
a  savage  in  dress  and  manner,  and  almost  without  God  in 
so  tossed  a  life,  yet  as  I  have  ever  lived  a  son  of  the  most 
holy  Church  of  Rome  and  of  the  Society,  so  do  I  wish  to 
die.  Obtain  for  me  from  God,  Reverend  Father,  by  your 
holy  sacrifices,  that  though  I  have  hitherto  but  ill-em- 
ployed the  means  He  gave  me  to  attain  the  highest  sanc- 
tity, I  may  at  least  employ  well  this  last  occasion  which 
He  offers  me.  Your  bounty,  surely,  owes  this  to  a  son 
who  has  recourse  to  you;  for  I  lead  a  truly  wretched 
life,  where  every  virtue  is  in  danger:  Faith  in  the  dense 
darkness  of  paganism,  Hope  in  so  long  and  hard  trials, 
Charity  amid  so  much  corruption,  deprived  of  all  the 
sacraments.     Purity  is  not,  indeed,  endangered  here  by 


Letter  from  Rensselaer swyck.  1 3  7 

delights,  but  is  tried,  amid  this  promiscuous  and  intimate 
intercourse  of  both  sexes,  by  the  perfect  liberty  of  all  in 
hearing  and  doing  what  they  please;  and,  most  of  all,  in 
their  constant  nakedness.  For  here,  willing  or  not,  you 
must  often  see  what  elsewhere  is  shut  out,  not  only  from 
wandering,  but  even  from  curious  eyes.  Hence  I  daily 
groan  to  my  God,  begging  Him  not  to  leave  me  without 
help  amid  the  dead;— begging  Him,  I  say,  that  amid  such 
impurity  and  such  superstitious  worship  of  the  devil  to 
which  He  has  exposed  me,  naked  as  it  were,  and  un- 
armed, 'my  heart  may  be  undefiled  in  His  justifica- 
tions '  (Ps.  cxviii.  80),  so  that  when  that  good  Shep- 
herd shall  come,  '  who  will  gather  together  the  dispersed 
of  Israel'  (Ps.  cxlvi.  2),  '  He  may  gather  us  from  among 
the  nations  to  bless  His  holy  name.  Amen  !  Amen ! ' 
(Ps.  cv.  47.) 

"  Your  Reverence's  most  humble  servant  and  son  in 
Christ,  Isaac  Jogues. 

"  Permit  me  through  your  Reverence  to  salute  all  my 
dear  Fathers  and  Brothers  whom  I  tenderly  love  and 
cherish  in  Christ,  and  to  commend  myself  to  their  holy 
sacrifices  and  prayers. 

"  Your  most  humble  servant  and  son  in  Christ, 

"  Isaac  Jogues. 

"  Rensselaerswyck,  in  New  Netherland,  August  5,  1643." 

The  repugnance  which  Father  Jogues  manifested  for 
seeing  his  term  of  captivity  end,  had  no  other  motive 
than  the  desire  to  advance  more  efficaciously  the  Glory 
of  God.  But  when  he  saw  that  he  could  not  possibly 
continue  his  zealous  and  charitable  work,  he  did  not  re- 
fuse to  profit  by  the  circumstances  which  Divine  Provi- 
dence disposed,  in  order  to  escape  from  the  hands  of  his 
executioners.  This  was  soon  to  come  to  pass;  yet  God 
first  brought  about  one  of  those  incidents  which  display 
the  goodness  of  the  Almighty  for  His  elect,  and  which 
afford  His  apostles  their  richest  reward  here  below. 


J 


8  Life  of  FatJier  Jogues. 


A  band  of  Iroquois  chiefs  had  been  selected  to  visit,  as 
representatives  of  the  nation,  a  small  tribe  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, which  they  regarded  as  a  tributary,  and  from 
which  they  expected  some  aid.  Father  Jogues'  master 
was  one  of  the  party,  and  he  took  his  slave  with  him. 
The  distance  to  be  travelled  was  nearly  two  hundred 
miles.  The  march  was  a  painful  one:  the  Indians  set 
out  as  usual  without  any  provisions,  and  contrary  to 
their  expectations  found  no  game  on  their  route,  and 
were  compelled  to  subsist  on  poor  insipid  berries  they 
gathered  in  the  woods.  The  object  of  the  Indians  in 
taking  the  missionary  with  them  was  to  make  an  ostenta- 
tious display  of  their  power  over  other  nations — even  over 
Europeans;  but  the  Lord  had  other  designs.  He  was 
going  to  rev/ard  a  charitable  act. 

On  reaching  the  town,  Father  Jogues  at  once  proceed- 
ed to  visit  the  cabins,  in  order  to  baptize  dying  children 
and  to  instruct  the  sick  whom  he  found  inclined  to 
hearken  to  him.  What  was  his  surprise,  on  entering  one 
of  the  first  cabins  he  reached,  to  hear  a  young  man 
stretched  on  the  ground  and  racked  by  pain,  address 
him  by  name  ? 

''Do  you  not  recognize  me,  Ondesonk,"  said  the  dying 
man;  "do  you  not  remember  the  good  turn  I  did  you  in 
the  Iroquois  country,  and  how  it  relieved  you  ?"  "  I  do 
not  recollect  ever  to  have  seen  you,"  replied  the  Father; 
"but  that  matters  not:  I  thank  you,  since  you  did  me  a 
service.  What  did  you  do  for  me  ?"  "  It  was  in  the 
third  Mohawk  town,"  said  the  young  man,  "when  you 
were  hung  up,  and  could  no  longer  endure  your  intense 
sufferings:  do  you  recollect  an  Indian  coming  up  and 
cutting  the  ropes?"  "Yes,  indeed,"  replied  the  mission- 
ary; "many  a  time  have  I  blessed  the  Lord  for  inspir- 
ing him  to  do  that  charitable  act.  I  have  never  met 
him  since,  and  I  should  be  happy  to  see  him,  and,  if  I 
could,  show  him  all  my  gratitude." 

"I  did  it  myself,"  replied  the  sick  man. 


Charity  Repaid.  1 39 

On  hearing  this,  Father  Jogues  clasped  him  to  his 
breast,  kissed  him  tenderly,  shedding  tears  of  gratitude 
and  compassion.  "  How  grieved  I  am,"  said  he,  "  to  find 
you  in  this  pitiable  condition  !  Why  can  I  not  relieve 
and  help  you  ?  Without  knowing  who  you  were,  I  have 
often  prayed  to  the  Master  of  Life  for  you.  You  see  my 
extreme  poverty;  yet  I  wish  to  do  you  a  greater  favor 
than  you  did  me." 

The  Indian  listened  with  astonishment.  Then  the  mis- 
sionary told  him  of  God,  the  creator  and  rewarder;  of 
Jesus  Christ  and  His  sufferings,  of  eternity  and  its  re- 
wards. While  he  spoke,  God  acted  interiorly  on  the  well- 
disposed  heart;  and,  like  the  eunuch  in  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles,  the  sick  man  soon  asked,  "What  must  I  do 
to  please  the  Master  of  Life  ?"  "  Believe  in  Him,"  said 
the  missionary,  "and  in  His  only  Son,  who  died  for  us, 
and  receive  baptism." 

The  soul  of  the  neophyte  opened  to  the  light,  and  the 
minister  of  Jesus  Christ  had  the  consolation  of  instruct- 
ing him  and  receiving  proof  of  his  faith.  He  became  a 
Christian,  and  as  the  disease  made  rapid  progress.  Father 
Jogues  ere  long  saw  him  depart  to  heaven,  full  of  hope, 
and  with  no  earthly  regret.  Thus  did  God  reward  a 
hundredfold  the  man  who  took  pity  on  His  servant. 


140  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 


CHAPTER    X. 

Father  Jogues  sets  out  for  the  Fishery — Fury  of  the  Iroquois— 
They  wish  to  burn  him — He  is  saved  by  a  Dutch  Captain — He 
reaches  Manhattan  Island— Sails  for  France. 

^HE  hour  of  deliverance  approached;  once  more 
Father  Jogues  accompanied  his  owners  to  a  fish- 
ing-station on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  about 
twenty  miles  from  Rensselaerswyck.  It  was  this  provi- 
dential excursion  which  afforded  him  the  means  of  es- 
cape. We  will  hear  him  relate  his  flight  in  detail,  in  a 
letter  *  which  he  wrote  from  that  Dutch  post  to  Father 
Charles  Lalemant  on  the  30th  of  August,  1643. 

"  On  the  very  day  of  the  feast  of  our  Holy  Father 
Ignatius  (July  31),  I  left  the  village  where  I  was  a  pris- 
oner to  follow  and  accompany  some  Iroquois  who  were 
going  first  to  trade,  then  to  fish.  Having  got  through 
their  traffic,  they  proceeded  to  a  place  seven  or  eight 
leagues  below  the  Dutch  post,t  which  is  on  the  river 
where  we  were  fishing.  While  arranging  our  weirs  for 
the  fish,  a  report  reached  us  that  an  Iroquois  war-party, 
returned  from  the  Huron  land,  had  killed  five  or  six  on 
the  spot,  and  brought  in  four  prisoners,  two  of  whom 
had  been  already  burned  at  our  village  with  more  than 
common  cruelty. 

"At  these  tidings  my  heart  was  rent  with  most  keen  and 
bitter  grief,  that  I  had  not  seen,  consoled,  or  baptized 
these  poor  victims.  Fearful  that  something  of  the  kind 
might  happen  again  during  my  absence,  I  went  to  a  good 
old  woman,  who  from  her  age  and  her  care  of  me,  as  well 

*  Relation  for  1643,   p.  75-  t  Rensselaerswyck. 


Sets  out  for  the  Fishery.  141 

as  from  her  compassion  for  my  sufferings,  called  me  her 
nephew,  as  I  called  her  aunt.  'Aunt,'  said  I,  'I  would 
much  rather  go  back  to  our  cabin;  I  am  very  lonesome 
here.'  I  did  not  indeed  expect  more  comfort  or  less 
pain  at  the  village,  where  I  suffered  a  continual  martyr- 
dom— compelled  to  witness  before  my  eyes  the  horrible 
cruelties  they  perpetrate — but  my  heart  could  not  bear 
that  one  should  die  without  my  affording  him  baptism. 
'Go,  nephew,' said  this  good  woman,  'go,  if  you  are 
tired  of  this  place,  and  take  something  to  eat  on  the 
way.'  I  accordingly  embarked  in  the  first  canoe  going 
up  to  the  village,  always  conducted  and  always  accom- 
panied by  Iroquois. 

"On  reaching  the  Dutch  post  through  which  we  had 
to  pass,  I  learned  that  our  village  was  furious  against 
the  French,  and  that  they  only  awaited  my  return  to 
burn  me.  The  reason  of  all  was  this:  Among  the  war- 
parties  against  the  French,  iVlgonquins,  and  Hurons 
was  one  that  resolved  to  go  and  prowl  around  Fort 
Richelieu  to  spy  the  French  and  their  Indian  allies.  A 
certain  Huron  of  this  band,  taken  by  the  Iroquois  and 
naturalized  among  them,  came  to  ask  me  for  letters  to 
carry  to  the  French,  hoping  perhaps  to  surprise  some  one 
by  this  bait;  but  as  I  had  no  doubt  the  French  would  be 
on  their  guard,  I  saw  the  importance  of  giving  them 
some  inkling  of  the  designs,  arms,  and  treachery  of  our 
enemy.  I  found  means  to  get  a  bit  of  paper  to  write  on. 
The  Dutch  did  me  this  charity. 

"  I  knew  well  the  danger  to  which  I  exposed  myself. 
I  was  well  aware  that  if  any  mishap  befell  the  party  I 
should  be  made  responsible,  and  the  blame  thrown  on 
my  letters.  I  foresaw  my  death,  but  it  seemed  to  me 
sweet  and  agreeable,  employed  for  the  public  good,  and 
the  consolation  of  our  French,  and  the  poor  Indians  who 
listen  to  the  word  of  Jesus  Christ.  My  heart  was  undis- 
turbed by  fear  at  the  sight  of  all  that  might  happen — 
God's  glory  was  concerned. 


142  ^^^  of  Father  Jogues. 

"So  I  gave  my  letter  to  the  young  brave,  who  never 
returned.  The  story  given  by  his  comrades  is  that  he 
carried  it  to  Fort  Richelieu,  and  that  as  soon  as  the 
French  saw  it,  they  fired  their  cannon  at  them;  that, 
alarmed  at  this,  most  of  them  took  to  flight  all  naked, 
leaving  one  of  their  canoes,  in  which  were  three  arque- 
buses, powder,  ball,  and  other  articles.  When  this  news 
was  brought  into  the  village,  the  cry  was  raised  that  my 
letter  had  caused  them  to  be  treated  so.  The  rumor 
spread  around;  it  reached  my  ears;  I  was  taunted  with 
the  mishap;  they  talked  of  nothing  but  burning  me;  and 
had  I  been  found  in  the  village  when  these  braves  re- 
turned, fire,  rage,  and  cruelty  had  deprived  me  of  my 
life. 

"  To  increase  my  misfortune,  another  party,  returning 
from  the  neighborhood  of  Montreal,  where  they  had  laid 
an  ambush  for  the  French,  said  that  two  of  their  party 
had  been  killed  and  two  wounded.  All  made  me  guilty 
of  these  mishaps.  They  were  now  beside  themselves 
with  rage,  and  impatient  for  my  return.  All  these  re- 
ports I  heard,  offering  myself  unreservedly  to  our  Lord, 
and  resigning  myself,  all  in  all,  to  His  most  holy  will. 

"  The  commander  of  the  Dutch  post  where  we  were, 
aware  of  the  evil  design  of  the  savages,  and  aware,  too, 
that  the  Chevalier  de  Montmagny  had  prevented  the 
Canada  Indians  from  coming  to  kill  the  Dutch,  had  of- 
fered me  means  of  escape.  '  Here,'  said  he,  'lies  a  ves- 
sel at  anchor,*  to  sail  in  a  few  days.  Get  privately  on 
board.  It  is  bound  first  to  Virginia,  whence  it  will  carry 
you  to  Bordeaux  or  Rochelle,  where  it  must  stop.' 
Thanking  him  with  much  respect  and  courtesy,  I  told 
him  that  the  Iroquois  would  suspect  them  of  favoring 
my  escape,  and  perhaps  do  some  injury  to  their  people. 
*  No,  no,'  he  replied;  'do  not  fear;  get  on  board;  it  is  a 

*The  States-General  of  Holland  had  sent  orders  to  all  the  com- 
mandants in  New  Netherland  to  deliver  Father  Jogues,  the  Queen- 
Regent  of  France  having  requested  it  in  the  most  urgent  manner. 


Urged  to  Escape.  143 

fine  opportunity,  and  you  will  never  find  a  surer  way  of 
escaping.' 

"  At  these  words  my  heart  was  perplexed.  I  doubted 
whether  it  was  not  for  the  greater  glory  of  our  Lord  to 
expose  myself  to  the  danger  of  savage  fury  and  flames, 
in  order  to  aid  in  the  salvation  of  some  soul.  I  there- 
fore replied,  '  This  affair,  sir,  seems  to  me  so  important 
that  I  cannot  give  you  an  answer  on  this  spot;  give  me, 
if  you  please,  to-night  to  think  it  over.  I  will  recom- 
mend it  to  our  Lord;  I  will  examine  the  reasons  on  both 
sides,  and  will  tell  you  my  final  resolution  in  the  morn- 
ing.' Greatly  astonished,  he  granted  my  request.  The 
night  I  spent  in  prayer,  earnestly  imploring  our  Lord  not 
to  let  me  adopt  a  conclusion  myself,  but  to  give  me  light 
to  know  His  most  holy  will;  that  in  all  and  through  all, 
even  to  the  stake  itself,  I  would  follow  it.  The  reasons 
to  retain  me  in  the  country  were  the  consideration  of  the 
French  and  Indians;  I  loved  them,  and  felt  so  great  a 
desire  to  serve  them,  that  I  had  resolved  to  pass  the 
rest  of  my  days  in  this  captivity  for  their  salvation;  but 
now  I  beheld  the  face  of  affairs  entirely  changed. 

"  First,  as  for  the  three  Frenchmen,  brought  prisoners 
like  myself  into  the  country,  one — Rene  Goupil — had 
already  been  massacred  at  my  feet.  This  young  man 
was  as  pure  as  an  angel.  Henry,  taken  at  Montreal,  had 
fled  to  the  woods;  because  while  he  was  beholding  the 
cruelties  perpetrated  on  two  Hurons  roasted  alive,  some 
Iroquois  told  him  that  they  would  treat  him  so,  and  me 
too,  as  soon  as  I  got  back.  This  threat  made  him  re- 
solve to  run  the  risk  of  starving  in  the  woods,  or  being 
devoured  by  some  wild  beast,  rather  than  endure  the 
torments  inflicted  by  these  half-demons.  He  had  not 
been  seen  for  seven  days.  As  to  William  Couture,  I 
could  scarcely  see  any  means  of  being  of  service  to  him, 
for  he  had  been  put  in  a  village  at  a  distance  from  mine, 
and  the  Indians  kept  him  so  busy  here  and. there  that  I 
could  no  longer  find  him.     He  had,  moreover,  himself 


1 44  J^tf^  of  Father  J  agues. 

told  me,  'Father,  try  to  escape;  as  soon  as  I  see  no 
more  of  you  I  will  manage  to  get  off.  You  know  well 
that  I  remain  in  this  captivity  only  for  your  sake;  do 
your  best,  then,  to  escape,  for  I  cannot  think  of  my  own 
liberty  or  life  till  I  see  you  in  safety.'  Besides,  this  good 
young  friend  had  been  given  to  an  old  man,  who  assured 
him  that  he  would  let  him  go  in  peace  if  I  could  effect 
my  deliverance;  so  that  I  no  longer  saw  any  reason  to 
remain  on  account  of  the  French. 

"As  to  the  Indians,  instructing  them  was  now  out  of 
the  question  and  almost  hopeless;  for  the  whole  country 
was  so  excited  against  me  that  I  no  longer  found  means 
to  speak  to  them  or  gain  them;  and  the  Algonquins  and 
Hurons  kept  aloof  from  me,  as  a  victim  destined  to  the 
flames,  because  they  feared  to  come  in  for  a  share  of  the 
rage  and  hatred  which  the  Iroquois  bore  me.  I  saw,  too, 
that  I  had  some  knowledge  of  their  language,  that  I 
knew  their  country  and  their  strength,  and  that  I  could 
perhaps  contribute  better  to  their  salvation  in  other  ways 
than  by  remaining  among  them.  All  this  knowledge,  it 
occurred  to  me,  would  die  with  me  if  I  did  not  escape. 
The  wretches,  too,  had  so  little  intention  of  giving  us  up, 
that  they  committed  an  act  of  perfidy  against  the  right 
and  custom  of  all  these  nations.  An  Indian  of  the 
country  of  the  Sokokis,  allies  of  the  Iroquois,  having 
been  taken  by  the  upper  Algonquins  and  brought  to 
Three  Rivers  or  Quebec  as  a  prisoner,  was  delivered  and 
set  at  liberty  by  the  intervention  of  the  Governor  of  New 
France,  at  the  solicitation  of  our  Fathers.  The  good 
Indian,  seeing  that  the  French  had  saved  his  life,  sent 
beautiful  presents  in  the  month  of  April  to  deliver  at 
least  one  of  the  French.  The  Iroquois  retained  the 
presents  without  setting  one  of  us  at  liberty;  a  treachery 
perhaps  unexampled  among  these  tribes,  for  they  invari- 
ably observe  the  law,  that  whoso  touches  or  accepts  the 
present  made  him,  must  execute  what  is  asked  by  the 
present.     Accordingly,  when  they  do  not  wish  to  grant 


Mohawk  III  Faith.  145 

what  is  desired,  they  send  back  the  presents,  or  make 
others  in  their  stead. 

"  But  to  return  to  my  purpose.  Having  weighed  be- 
fore God,  with  all  possible  abstraction  from  self,  the  rea- 
sons for  remaining  among  the  Indians,  and  those  for 
leaving,  I  concluded  that  our  Lord  would  be  more 
pleased  with  my  taking  the  opportunity  to  escape. 

"  As  soon  as  it  was  day  I  went  to  salute  the  Dutch  Gov- 
ernor, and  told  him  the  resolution  I  had  come  to  before 
God;  he  called  for  the  officers  of  the  ship,  told  them  his 
intentions,  and  exhorted  them  to  receive  and  conceal  me 
— in  a  word,  to  carry  me  over  to  Europe.  They  replied 
that  if  I  could  once  set  foot  in  their  vessel,  I  was  safe;  I 
should  not  leave  it  till  I  reached  Bordeaux  or  Rochelle. 
'Cheer  up,  then,'  said  the  Governor;  'return  with  the 
Indians,  and  this  evening,  or  in  the  night,  steal  off  quietly 
and  make  for  the  river;  there  you  will  find  a  little  boat, 
which  I  will  have  ready  to  take  you  to  the  ship.'  After 
most  humble  thanks  to  all  these  gentlemen,  I  left  the 
Dutch,  the  better  to  conceal  my  design.  In  the  evening 
I  retired  with  ten  or  twelve  Iroquois  to  a  barn,*  where 
we  spent  the  night.  Before  lying  down,  I  went  out  to 
see  where  I  could  most  easily  escape.  The  dogs,  then  let 
loose,  ran  at  me,  and  a  large  and  powerful  one  snapped 
at  my  bare  leg  and  bit  it  severely.! 

"I  immediately  entered  the  barn;  the  Iroquois  closed 
the  door  securely,  and  to  guard  me  better,  came  and  lay 
beside  me,  especially  one  who  was  in  a  manner  appoint- 
ed to  watch  me.     Seeing  myself  beset  with  these  mis- 


*The  barn,  about  one  hundred  feet  long,  belonged  to  a  Dutchman 
whose  wife  was  an  Iroquois.  One  end  served  as  the  house  of  the 
family;  the  domestic  animals  were  kept  in  the  other  end;  the  open 
space  in  the  middle  was  left  to  the  companions  of  Father  Jogues. 
(MS.  of  Father  Buteux). 

f  The  farmer,  roused  by  the  noise,  came  with  a  candle  to  examine 
the  wound.  Moved  by  pity,  he  tried  to  dress  it,  but  the  only  remedy 
he  applied  was  a  hair  of  the  dog  that  bit  him.     (Same  MS.). 


146  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

haps,  and   the  barn  well  shut  and  surrounded  by  dogs 
that  would  betray  me  if  I  attempted  to  go  out,  I  almost 
thought  that  I  could  not  escape.     I  sweetly  complained 
to  my  God,  that  having  given  the  thought   of   escaping, 
'  He  hath  shut  up  my  way  with  square  stones,  and  in  a 
spacious  place  my  feet '   (Lament,  iii.  9).      This  whole 
night  also  I  spent  without  sleep;  towards  day  I  heard  the 
cocks  crow;  soon   after  a  servant  of  the  Dutch  farmer 
who  had  received  us  into  his  barn,  entered  by  some  door 
I  did  not  see.     I  went  up  to  him  softly,  and  not  under- 
standing his  Flemish,  made  him  a  sign  to  stop  the  dogs 
barking.     He  immediately  went  out,  and  I  after  him,  as 
soon  as  I  had   taken  my  little  luggage,  consisting  of  a 
Little  Office  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  an  Imitation  of  Christ, 
and  a  wooden   cross,  which  I  had  made  to  keep  me  in 
mind  of  my  Saviour's  sufferings.     Having  got  out  of  the 
barn  without  making  any  noise  or  waking  my  guards,  I 
climbed  over  a  fence  which  inclosed  the  house,  and  ran 
straight  to  the  river  where  the  ship  was;  it  was  as  much 
as  my  wounded  leg  could  do,  for  the  distance  was  a  good 
quarter  of  a  league.     I  found  the  boat  as  I  had  been 
told,  but,  as  the  tide  had  gone  down,  it  was  high  and 
dry.     I  pushed  it  to  get  it  to  the  water,  but  finding  it  too 
heavy,  I  called  to  the  ship  to  send  me  their  boat  to  take 
me  on  board.     There  was   no  answer;  I   do   not  know 
whether  they  heard  me;  be  that  as  it  may,  no  one  ap- 
peared, and  day  was  now  beginning  to  reveal  to  the  Iro- 
quois the  robbery  which  I  had  made  of  myself,  and  I 
feared  to  be  surprised  in  my  innocent  crime.     Weary  of 
hallooing,  I  returned  to  my  boat,  and  praying  to  the  Al- 
mighty to  increase  my  strength,  I  succeeded  at  last  so 
well,  by  working  it  slowly  on  and  pushing  stoutly,  that  f 
got  it  into  the  water.     As  soon  as  it  floated,  I  jumped  in 
and  reached  the  vessel  alone,  unperceived  by  any  Iro- 
quois.    I  was  immediately  lodged  in  the  bottom  of  the 
hold,  and  to  hide  me  they  put  a  large  box  on  the  hatch. 
I  was  two  days  and  two  nights  in  the  hold  of  this  ship, 


His  Escape.  147 

in  such  a  state  that  I  expected  to  be  suffocated  and  die 
of  the  stench,  when  I  remembered  poor  Jonas,  and 
prayed  Our  Lord  '  that  I  might  not  flee  from  His  face ' 
(Jonas  i.  3),  nor  depart  from  His  will;  but  on  the  con- 
trary, '  that  he  would  infatuate  all  counsels '  (2  Kings 
XV.  31)  that  were  not  for  His  glory,  and  keep  me  in  the 
land  of  these  heathen  if  He  did  not  approve  my  retreat 
and  flight. 

"The  second  night  of  my  voluntary  imprisonment,  the 
minister  of  the  Hollanders  *  came  to  tell  me  that  the 
Iroquois  had  made  much  trouble,  and  that  the  Dutch 
settlers  were  afraid  that  they  would  set  fire  to  their  houses 
and  kill  their  cattle.  They  have  reason  to  fear  them,  for 
they  are  armed  with  good  arquebuses.  ^  If,'  I  replied, 
*  for  my  sake  this  great  tempest  is  upon  you,  cast  me 
into  the  sea'  (Jonas  i,  12).  If  this  trouble  has  been 
caused  by  me,  I  am  ready  to  appease  it  at  the  loss  of  my 
life.  I  never  wished  to  escape  to  the  injury  of  the 
least  man  in  the  colony. 

"At  last,  then,  I  had  to  leave  my  den;  the  sailors  took 
umbrage,  saying  '  that  they  had  pledged  their  word  in 
case  I  could  set  foot  on  the  ship,  and  that  they  were  now 
taking  me  off  at  the  very  moment  when  they  should 
have  brought  me,  had  I  not  been  there;  that  I  had  put 
my  life  in  danger  by  escaping  on  their  promise,  and  that, 
cost  what  it  might,  they  must  stick  to  it.'  This  honest 
bluntness  touched  me,  but  I  begged  them  to  let  me  go, 
as  the  captain,  who  had  opened  to  me  the  doorway  of 
escaping,  now  asked  me  back.     I  was  taken  to  his  house. 


*The  name  of  this  benefactor  of  Father  Jogues  deserves  to  be 
recorded.  It  was  John  Megapolensis;  he  was  the  first  minister  of 
the  place.  He  came  from  Holland  with  his  wife  and  four  children, 
and  the  States-General  fixed  the  sum  for  his  maintenance.  This  cir- 
cumstance of  a  Jesuit  being  saved  by  a  Protestant  minister  is  one 
of  the  most  striking  episodes  in  this  history.  Domine  Megapolensis 
is  the  author  of  a  short  but  interesting  account  of  the  Mohawks. 


148  Life  of  Father  J  agues, 

where  he  kept  me  concealed.  These  comings  and  go- 
ings were  done  by  night,  so  that  I  was  not  discovered. 
In  all  this  proceeding  I  might  have  urged  my  own  rea- 
sons, but  it  was  not  for  me  to  speak  in  my  own  cause, 
but  rather  to  follow  the  commands  of  others;  I  cheer- 
fully submitted.  At  last  the  captain  told  me  that  we 
must  yield  calmly  to  the  storm,  and  wait  till  the  minds 
of  the  Indians  were  appeased:  in  this  advice  all  con- 
curred. Here,  then,  I  am  a  voluntary  prisoner  in  his 
house,  whence  I  write  this.  If  you  ask  my  thoughts  in 
all  this  affair,  I  will  tell  you  first,  that  the  vessel  which 
had  wished  to  save  me  has  gone  off  without  me;  second, 
that  if  our  Lord  does  not  in  an  almost  miraculous  way 
protect  me,  the  Indians,  who  come  and  go  here  every 
moment,  will  discover  me;  and  if  they  ever  believe  that 
I  am  still  here,  I  must  necessarily  be  restored  to  their 
hands. 

"  Now,  when  they  had  such  fury  against  me  before 
my  flight,  how  will  they  treat  me  when  I  fall  again  into 
their  power?  I  shall  die  by  no  ordinary  death;  their 
fire,  rage,  and  new-devised  cruelties  will  wring  out  my 
life.  Blessed  be  God's  name  forever  !  We  are  ever  in 
the  bosom  of  His  Divine  and  adorable  Providence.  Vestri 
capilli  capitis  numerati  sunty  nolite  timere,  7?iultis  passeribus 
meliores  estis  vos;  quorum  unus  non  cadet  super  terram  sine 
patre  vestro, — '  Yea,  the  very  hairs  of  your  head  are  num- 
bered. Fear  not,  therefore;  you  are  of  more  value  than 
many  sparrows,'  '  not  one  of  whom  falls  to  the  earth 
without  your  Father'  (Matt.  x.  30). 

"  I  have  been  hidden  ten  or  twelve  days,  and  it  is  hardly 
possible  that  an  evil  day  will  not  come  upon  me. 

"In  the  third  place,  you  will  see  our  great  need  of  your 
prayers,  and  of  the  holy  sacrifices  of  all  our  Fathers. 
Give  us  this  alms,  Ut  reddat  me  Do7ninus,  idoneum  ad  se 
amandum^  fortem  ad patiendum,  co7istantem  ad perseverandum 
in  suo  amore  et  servitio, — '  that  the  Lord  may  render  me  fit 
to  love  Him,  patient  to  endure,  constant  to  persevere  in 


Hidden  on  Shoj^e.  149 

His  holy  love  and  service.'  This  and  a  little  New  Testa- 
ment from  Europe  are  my  sole  desires.  Pray  for  these 
poor  nations  that  burn  and  eat  each  other,  that  they 
may  come  to  a  knowledge  of  their  Creator,  and  render 
Him  the  tribute  of  their  love.  Aleinor  sum  vcstri  in  vin- 
culis  meis^ — 'I  am  mindful  of  you  in  my  bonds;'  captivity 
cannot  enchain  my  remembrance. 

"I  am,  in  heart  and  affection,  etc." 

"  Rensselaersvvyck,  August  30,  1643." 

While  the  commandant  at  Rensselaerswyck  sought  to 
appease  the  Indians,  who,  numbering  only  ten  or  twelve, 
could  not  excite  in  his  mind  any  serious  alarm,  he  was 
perplexed  to  see  a  delegation  come  from  the  Mohawk 
town  about  the  middle  of  September  to  demand  expla- 
nations. The  towns  had  been  greatly  excited  when  the 
flight  of  the  servant  of  God  became  known.  The  Dutch 
were  known  to  be  accomplices,  and  the  Mohawks  wished 
to  hold  them  responsible. 

The  deputies,  who  had  been  selected  from  the  leading 
chiefs,  came  fully  armed,  and  determined  to  get  their 
prisoner  back,  willingly  or  by  force.  The  case  seemed 
desperate,  but  the  commandant  of  the  fort  was  not  be  in- 
timidated by  threats  ;  he  sturdily  maintained  his  posi- 
tion, refusing  to  surrender  him. 

The  clamor  redoubled,  and  after  several  stormy  inter- 
views, they  were  on  the  point  of  resorting  to  violence, 
when  the  brave  Dutch  captain  boldly  advanced  to  the 
spokesman  of  the  Mohawk  party  and  said  to  him  firmly, 
"The  Frenchman  you  are  seeking  is  under  my  protec- 
tion. I  cannot  give  him  up.  If  I  surrendered  him  to 
you,  I  would  be  false  to  my  own  honor  and  humanity. 
You  yourselves  ought  to  be  glad  to  have  a  motive  for 
justifying  your  conduct  in  the  eyes  of  your  countrymen, 
and  preventing  them  from  committing  a  crime.  You  like 
our  nation.     Well,  you  must  know  that  there  are  rights 


150  I^if^  of  Fathe7^  Jogues. 

of  protection  which  allied  nations  must  respect.  To  set 
these  at  defiance  without  some  plausible  reason  would 
lead  to  a  rupture  that  would  bring  on  us  endless  bloody- 
wars.  The  course  I  have  followed  is  sanctioned  by  all 
the  Dutch  ;  you  esteem  them  enough,  I  think,  to  yield  to 
their  wishes ;  but  to  give  you  full  satisfaction,  here  is 
gold  for  the  ransom  of  your  prisoner."  With  this  he 
offered  them  three  hundred  livres. 

These  words,  uttered  in  a  tone  of  authority,  which  the 
crisis  suggested  to  a  generous  heart,  prevailed  :  the  Iro- 
quois chief,  influenced  by  the  sight  of  the  money,  agreed 
to  a  settlement,  and  withdrew  with  his  party. 

Though  he  had  been  ransomed,  Father  Jogues  found 
that  he  was  not  yet  free.  The  Dutch  had  fears  as  to  the 
permanence  of  a  peace  so  hastily  made,  and  a  new  op- 
portunity of  sending  him  to  Europe  was  impatiently 
awaited. 

The  commandant  then  committed  his  guest  to  the 
care  of  an  old  Dutchman,  faithful,  but  hard,  avaricious, 
and  unpitying.  He  lodged  the  missionary  in  a  wretched 
garret,  where  hunger,  thirst,  heat,  and  fear  of  the  Iroquois 
made  every  moment  a  torture  ;  but  there  too  the  servant 
of  God  cast  himself  into  the  hands  of  Providence,  like  a 
child  in  the  arms  of  its  mother. 

This  guardian,  the  commissary  of  the  settlement,  had 
no  care  or  respect  for  the  missionary.  He  took  him  up 
water  every  fortnight  in  a  pail  used  to  make  lye.  The 
heat  of  the  month  of  August  and  the  taint  of  the  vessel 
made  the  water  so  vile  that  the  disgusting  liquid  caused 
the  poor  prisoner  violent  pains  in  the  stomach.  His  food 
was  so  scanty  that  it  barely  sufficed  to  keep  him  alive. 
A  little  black  bread  and  rancid  butter,  stewed  pumpkin, 
but  no  meat,  was  his  ordinary  diet,  contrary  to  the  com- 
mandant's orders,  who  sent  him  from  time  to  time  a  dish 
from  his  own  table,  and  who  charged  the  man  to  provide 
the  missionary  with  all  he  required,  but  his  orders  were 
disregarded. 


A   Faithless   Guaj^dian.  151 

This  almost  complete  isolation  lasted  six  weeks : 
Father  Jogues  spent  them  in  converse  with  God  and  His 
Saints.  The  Protestant  minister  sometimes  came  to  see 
him.  One  day  he  asked  him  how  he  was  treated,  and 
whether  he  required  anything.  The  missionary,  who 
had  hitherto  kept  silence,  and  would  have  continued  to  do 
so,  had  he  not  been  directly  questioned,  replied  that  very 
little  was  brought  to  him.  "  I  was  afraid  so,"  replied  the 
minister;  "  the  old  fellow  is  an  arrant  miser,  and  keeps 
what  is  sent  to  you."  This  was  the  fact.  The  command- 
ant on  learning  the  truth,  sent  Father  Jogues  bread 
and  meat,  which  were  after  that  time  delivered  to  him 
without  passing  through  the  hands  of  the  faithless  host. 

A  torment  more  painful  than  abstinence  imperilled  the 
life  of  Father  Jogues.  While  he  was  on  the  vessel  a 
plaster  made  of  ointment  for  scurf  had  been  put  on  his 
injured  leg.  It  poisoned  the  wound,  and  gangrene  was 
setting  in  when  the  surgeon  of  the  settlement  was  called, 
and  succeeded  in  checking  the  progress  (^f  the  evil. 

Independently  of  these  physical  sufferings  the  poor 
Father  was  in  constant  alarm,  and  unable  to  leave  his 
hiding-place,  as  the  Iroquois  were  all  the  while  prowling 
about  the  court  of  the  fort,  and  often  spent  the  night 
there.  He  says  in  one  of  his  letters,  that  he  did  not  see 
how  the  savages  had  failed  a  hundred  times  to  one  to 
see  him.  The  garret  was  divided  into  two  rooms  by  thin 
boards,  so  badly  set  up  that  there  was  a  finger's  width 
between  them.  You  could  easily  see  from  one  side  what 
was  in  the  other  ;  and  one  of  these  was  his  room.  Now 
the  commissary  kept  in  the  outer  room  a  part  of  the  goods 
and  provisions  which  he  sold.  The  Iroquois  came  there 
constantly  during  the  day,  and  were  separated  from  their 
prisoner  by  a  mere  partition  of  lath.  The  missionary  at 
these  times  hid  behind  some  empty  casks,  remaining 
there  on  some  occasions  three  or  four  consecutive  hours, 
crouched  down  and  motionless  ;  a  position  which 
inflicted  "a  gehenna  of  torture,"  full  of  dread  of  being 


152  L^f^  of  Father  Jogiies. 

betrayed  by  the  slightest  movement,  and  discovered  by 
his  implacable  enemies. 

After  this  long  trial,  to  which  Divine  Providence 
wished  to  subject  the  virtue  of  His  servant,  the  hour  of 
deliverance  arrived  at  the  moment  when  it  was  least  ex- 
pected. 

The  Governor  of  New  Netherland  resided  at  New 
Amsterdam,  now  New  York,  one  hundred  and  forty- 
two  miles  below  Rensselaerswyck.  William  Kieft,  the 
fifth  Director-General  of  this  rising  colony,  of  which  he 
assumed  the  administration  March  23,  1638,  on  hearing 
of  the  missionary's  sad  condition  and  the  dangers  which 
surrounded  him,  ordered  the  commandant  to  send  him 
down  by  the  first  vessel,  with  all  the  precautions  pru- 
dence could  suggest. 

There  was  just  then  a  vessel  lying  there  which  was  to 
sail  down  the  river  the  next  day.  The  preparations  re- 
quired little  time.  The  minister  and  some  of  the  leading 
inhabitants  accompanied  Father  Jogues,  who  embarked 
secretly.  On  the  sail  down  the  river,  which  took  six 
days,  he  received  marks  of  cordial  sympathy  and  benevo- 
lence from  his  travelling  companions.  Domine  Megapo- 
lensis  showed  constant  kindness  toward  him,  and  wished 
to  give  a  little  entertainment  to  the  crew  in  his  honor,  in 
order  to  celebrate  his  happy  deliverance.  "  Especially," 
relates  the  hero  of  the  adventure,  "  did  he  insist,  when 
we  came  to  an  island  to  which  he  wished  to  give  my 
name.  Amid  the  noise  of  cannon  and  bottles  each  showed 
his  esteem  after  his  own  fashion." 

Domine  Megapolensis  neglected  no  means  of  exciting 
in  their  hearts  a  frank  and  hearty  joy,  and  Father  Jogues, 
whom  he  called  a  very  learned  man,  met  tliese  touching 
marks  of  friendship  with  cordial  gratitude.  All  admired 
his  modesty  as  much  as  his  humility. 

The  Governor  at  Manhattan  Island  gave  him  a  most 
honorable  reception,  invited  him  to  his  table,  and  seated 
him  beside  the  pastor.    He  also  provided  for  his  pressing 


Sails  Down  the  Hudson.  153 

wants,  and  gave  him  suitable  clothing  to  replace  the  rag- 
ged and  half-savage  costume  in  which  he  was  attired. 

The  presence  of  a  Jesuit,  a  confessor  of  the  Catholic 
faith,  amid  a  Protestant  community  excited  lively  curi- 
osity. All  flocked  to  see  him,  and  they  manifested  the 
deepest  feeling  on  hearing  an  account  of  the  hardships 
which  he  had  undergone.  Some  asked  him  what  reward 
the  members  of  the  Company  of  New  France*  would 
pay  him,  for  they  imagined  that  he  had  been  treated  so 
on  account  of  their  trade.  Father  Jogues  undeceived 
them,  and  explained  the  sanctity  of  his  apostolic  minis- 
try. "  No  thought  of  earthly  or  transitory  interest," 
said  he,  "induced  me  to  leave  my  own  country;  I  sought 
but  one  object,  even  when  exposing  myself  to  the  dan- 
gers into  which  I  fell,  and  that  was  to  announce  the  Gos- 
pel to  those  who  knew  it  not." 

A  young  man  employed  by  a  merchant  in  that  coun- 
try, seeing  him  one  day,  ran  to  him,  fell  at  his  feet,  and 
covered  his  mutilated  hands  with  kisses.  He  cried  with 
streaming  eyes,  ** Martyr  of  Jesus  Christ!  Martyr  of 
Jesus  Christ !"  The  missionary,  confused  and  affected, 
embraced  him  affectionately.  He  sought  to  escape  these 
demonstrations,  which  wounded  his  humility.  He  asked 
this  man  who  sought  to  honor  him  whether  he  was  a 
Calvinist.  "  No,"  he  replied,  expressing  himself  as  well 
as  he  could,  "I  am  a  Pole  and  a  Lutheran."  Father 
Jogues  was  unable  to  render  any  spiritual  service  to  this 
well-disposed  soul  ;  he  could  not  make  himself  under- 
stood. 

He  had  the  same  difficulty  with  a  woman  of  Portu- 
guese birth.     On   entering  a  house  near  the  fort  he  was 


*The  Company  of  New  France,  founded  in  1627,  under  the  name 
of  the  Company  of  One  Hundred  Associates,  was  projected  by  Riche- 
lieu. It  entered  into  all  the  rights  and  duties  of  the  mercantile  com- 
panies which  had  till  then  monopolized  the  Canada  trade,  and  who 
thought  more  of  their  own  interests  than  of  those  of  the  colony. 


154  I^tf^  of  Father  Jogues. 

agreeably  surprised  to  see  on  the  chimney-piece  a 
picture  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  one  of  St.  Aloysius 
Gonzaga;  he  made  inquiry,  and  found  that  the  mistress 
of  the  house  was  the  wife  of  the  ensign,  and  a  Catholic. 
Unfortunately  she  knew  none  of  the  languages  which 
Father  Jogues  spoke. 

He  found  greater  consolation  in  his  intercourse  with 
a  good  Irish  Catholic,  who  arrived  during  his  stay  from 
the  Virginia  coast.  When  he  heard  that  there  was  a  Ca- 
tholic priest  in  the  place,  it  was  his  first  and  urgent  duty 
to  show  the  servant  of  God  all  the  interest  he  felt  in  his 
condition,  and  to  profit  by  his  ministry  to  approach  the 
Sacraments.  From  him  Father  Jogues  learned  something 
of  the  progress  of  the  Faith  in  the  colony  of  Maryland, 
on  the  shores  of  the  Cliesapeake.  Founded  a  few  years 
before  by  Lord  Baltimore  to  afford  Catholics  of  the 
British  Isles  a  place  where  they  could  enjoy  religious 
liberty  and  peaceably  live  in  the  Faith,  it  received  its 
name  in  honor  of  Queen  Henrietta  Maria.  Two  Jesuit 
Fathers,  Andrew  White*  and  John  Altham,  had  accompa- 
nied the  first  settlers  to  aid  them  spiritually  and  labor  in 
converting  the  Indians. 

Meanwhile  Father  Jogues  was  constantly  awaiting  an 
opportunity  to  proceed  to  Europe.  In  the  month  of  No- 
vember the  Governor  cheerfully  offered  him  a  passage 
in  a  little  vessel  of  fifty  tons  which  he  was  despatching 
in  all  haste  to  the  Dutch  Government  to  lay  before  it 
grave  occurrences  which  had  taken  place,  and  which 
threatened  to  compromise  seriously  the  future  of  the 
colony. 

A  force  of  sixty  well-armed  settlers  had  undertaken  to 
exact  reparation  for  the  death  of  a  Hollander  whom  a 
drunken  Indian   had   killed  with  an  arrow.     They  went 

*  After  twelve  years'  labor  in  the  colony,  a  Protestant  revolution 
caused  him  to  be  sent  back  to  England  as  a  prisoner  in  1645,  and 
he  died  there  in  1656,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven. 


Sails  to  Eicrope.  155 

out  to  surprise  a  band  of  Indians  of  the  same  tribe  who 
had  fled  to  a  small  island,  and  they  massacred  eighty. 
This  was  the  signal  for  a  bloody  war. 

The  Indians  retaliated,  and  caused  immense  destruc- 
tion in  the  colony.  The  Dutch  then  resolved  to  crush 
them.  The  Indians  were  pursued  with  such  ferocity  that 
more  than  sixteen  hundred  perished  in  battle;  the  rest 
made  peace.  But  this  result  was  more  fatal  than  advan- 
tageous to  the  Dutch.  They  soon  felt  that  they  had 
alienated  all  the  Indians  and  lost  confidence  with  them. 

It  was  important  to  lay  the  whole  condition  before  the 
States  as  soon  as  possible. 

Accustomed  to  see  in  all  things  the  action  of  Provi- 
dence, Father  Jogues  thanked  God  for  the  opportunity  it 
afforded  him  of  returning  to  Europe,  and,  furnished  with 
a  letter  of  recommendation  from  the  Governor,  he  em- 
barked for  Europe  on  the  5th  of  November  ;  but  all  the 
precautions  taken  to  facilitate  the  voyage  could  not 
shield  him  from  new  annoyances  and  sufferings,  which 
the  Almighty  seemed  constantly  to  raise  up  before  him, 
in  order  to  give  greater  lustre  to  his  virtue. 


1^6  L ije  of  Fathei'-  Jog ues. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

An  Uncomfortable  Voyage — Father  Jogues  in  Brittany— Touch- 
ing Hospitality — College  at  Rennes — Arrives  in  Paris — 
Words  of  the  Sovereign  Pontiff— Returns  to  Canada — At 
Montreal — Couture's  Delivery. 


'FATHER  JOGUES  had  an  uncomfortable  voyage. 
The  rough,  prejudiced  sailors  did  not  show  him 
the  compassion  manifested  to  him  in  the  Dutch 
colony.  They  regarded  the  penniless  Jesuit  as  an  un- 
welcome burden.  Some  ropes  on  deck  were  his  cabin 
and  berth.  When  the  sea  was  too  rough  he  had  to  take 
refuge  in  the  hold  with  a  swarm  of  cats  and  a  most  of- 
fensive cargo.  With  no  food  but  that  given  the  sailors, 
exposed  to  damp  and  cold,  in  very  light  clothing,  and  not 
yet  fully  recovered  from  his  hardships,  privations,  and 
wounds,  he  continued  his  life  of  sacrifice  and  danger  in 
this  small  craft,  which  was  tossed  by  every  motion  of  the 
waves. 

As  they  neared  the  coast  of  Europe  new  trials  arose. 
They  encountered  a  violent  gale  as  they  entered  the 
British  Channel,  and  finding  it  necessary  to  seek  refuge 
in  an  English  port,  steered  for  Falmouth  in  Cornwall, 
which  still  held  out  for  Charles  I.  Two  Parliament 
vessels  cruising  off  the  coast  gave  chase  to  the  Dutch 
vessel  to  intercept  it ;  but  it  eluded  them  and  entered  the 
port,  where  it  anchored,  towards  the  close  of  December, 
1643. 

To  recruit  after  such  a  voyage  nearly  all  the  ship's 
people  went  ashore  for  the  night,  leaving  Father  Jogues 
alone  with  a  sailor  who  was  in  charge  of  the  vessel.     In 


At  Falmoitth.  157 

the  middle  of  the  night  it  was  boarded  by  prowlers,  who 
came  to  steal.  They  imagined  that  a  vessel  did  not  come 
that  distance  without  bringing  some  valuables.  But 
they  were  baffled,  in  spite  of  their  search  and  threats. 
They  even  put  a  pistol  at  Father  Jogues'  head,  but  did 
not  otherwise  maltreat  him.  They  contented  themselves 
with  carrying  off  his  hat,  but  took  all  the  baggage  of  the 
Dutch. 

As  soon  as  day  broke  Father  Jogues  hastened  to  report 
to  the  captain  what  had  happened,  and  while  he  was  in 
pursuit  of  the  thieves,  the  missionary  met  a  French  sailor, 
who,  seeing  that  he  was  a  fellow-countryman,  invited 
him  to  breakfast,  and  gave  him  an  old  coat  and  a  sailor's 
cap.  When  he  learned  his  adventures,  and  found  that 
he  was  conversing  with  a  priest  of  the  Society  of  Jesus, 
who  was  anxious  to  return  to  France,  he  was  much 
affected,  and  set  to  work  to  secure  a  passage  for  him. 

He  soon  had  the  good-fortune  to  find  a  small  vessel 
clearing  for  Brittany,  which  agreed  to  take  the  missionary 
on  board. 

Although  a  friend  of  the  Frenchman,  the  Dutch  cap- 
tain did  not  like  this,  and  was  loth  to  let  his  passenger 
go  unless  he  paid  his  fare.  He  yielded  at  last  to  their 
remonstrances,  and  trusting  to  a  promise  that  he  should 
be  indemnified  on  his  arrival  in  Holland,  allowed  Father 
Jogues  to  proceed  directly  to  France. 

The  holy  missionary  embarked  on  Christmas  eve  on 
this  vessel,  a  collier,  which  put  him  ashore  the  next 
morning  on  the  coast  of  Lower  Brittany,  near  Saint-Pol 
de  Leon.^" 

What  must  not  have  been  his  joy  to  find  himself  once 
more  on  Catholic  soil  !     What  sighs  of  gratitude  and 

*  Father  Jogues  says  that  he  landed  between  Brest  and  Saint- Pol  de 
Leon.  As  the  distance  between  the  two  places  is  nearly  twenty-five 
miles,  the  exact  spot  cannot  be  determined,  but  as  it  required  five  days 
to  reach  Rennes  on  horseback,  we  must  suppose  that  he  landed  near 
Saint-Pol  de  Leon. 


158  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

love  did  there  not  rise  from  his  heart  to  thank  God  for 
having  rescued  him  from  so  many  perils  and  restored 
him  to  liberty ! 

His  first  thought  was  to  go  and  prostrate  himself  at 
the  foot  of  the  altar,  and  partake  of  the  holy  Eucharist, 
of  which  he  had  been  deprived  for  thirteen  months  and 
more.  He  made  his  way  to  the  nearest  cottage  in  sight, 
to  ask  the  way  to  the  church. 

On  learning  that  the  ill-clad,  unknown  stranger  was 
anxious  to  receive  holy  communion,  the  pious  villagers, 
touched  by  his  venerable  air  and  his  exhausted  looks, 
lent  him  a  hat  and  a  short  cloak  to  enable  him  to  go  to 
communion  more  becomingly.  They  had  taken  him  for 
some  poor  Irish  Catholic  flying  from  persecution,  and 
this  thought  increased  the  interest  which  his  pious  wish 
inspired  ;  they  pressed  him  to  come  back  and  take  some 
refreshment  after  he  had  satisfied  his  devotion. 

It  was  the  great  festival  of  Christmas.  The  good 
peasants  were  all  out  in  their  holiday  garb,  preparing  to 
attend  the  services  of  the  solemnity.  It  was  a  happiness 
to  take  the  new-comer  to  the  church.  Joy  filled  the  heart 
of  the  servant  of  God  to  see  himself  surrounded  by  these 
thoroughly  Catholic  Breton  folk,  but  it  was  still  greater 
when  he  was  enabled  to  approach  the  Sacraments  of 
Penance  and  the  Eucharist,  and  join  in  offering  the  Sacri- 
fice of  the  Mass.  He  then  remembered  with  lively 
gratitude  the  long  days  of  his  cruel  captivity,  and  that 
prolonged  isolation  amid  heathen  savages  or  people 
estranged  from  the  Church.  "At  that  moment,"  he  said 
subsequently,  "  I  seemed  to  begin  once  more  to  live,  and 
to  enjoy  all  the  happiness  of  my  deliverance." 

Father  Jogues  returned  to  his  hosts  after  the  service, 
in  order  to  take  a  little  food,  so  necessary  in  his  fatigued 
and  exhausted  condition.  The  sight  of  his  mutilated 
hands  excited  the  curiosity  of  these  good  peasants,  and 
they  asked  him  without  ceremony  how  such  a  misfortune 
had  befallen  him.     The  missionary  then  related  to  them 


A  Friendly  Me  reliant,  159 

his  long  story,  and  these  hearts,  full  of  lively  faith,  heard 
with  deep  respect  and  admiration  the  touching  story 
of  those  long  sufferings  endured  for  religion.  It  was 
not  mere  compassion,  but  a  genuine  veneration,  which 
they  experienced  in  the  presence  of  the  man  of  God. 
He  has  himself  related  how  deeply  he  was  touched  when 
he  saw  the  two  daughters  of  this  poor  family  show  him 
their  pity  according  to  their  means,  and  ask  a  remem- 
brance in  his  prayers.  "They  came,"  he  says,  "to  offer 
me  their  alms  of  a  few  sous,  perhaps  their  whole  store, 
with  so  much  humility  and  modesty,  that  my  soul  was 
moved  to  tears." 

However,  Father  Jogues  had  promised  the  captain 
who  had  brought  him  to  Brittany  that  he  would  return 
to  his  vessel  after  he  had  performed  his  devotions.  He 
had  scarcely  reached  it  when  a  merchant  from  Rennes, 
named  Berson,  whom  business  had  brought  to  that  part, 
came  on  board  to  arrange  some  affairs  with  the  captain. 

Father  Jogues  perceived  him,  and  ascertaining  whence 
he  came,  regarded  his  presence  at  that  place  as  provi- 
dential. Seizing  a  favorable  moment,  he  approached 
Berson,  and  touching  him  gently  asked  him  to  take  pity 
on  him. 

On  seeing  a  man  so  attenuated  and  so  ill-clad,  Berson 
took  him  for  a  beggar,  and  offered  him  a  sou,  which  he 
refused.  Berson  offered  two,  which  were  again  refused. 
After  hesitating  a  moment,  between  fear  and  hope.  Fath- 
er Jogues  resolved  to  make  himself  known,  and  whispered 
to  Berson,  "  My  very  dear  sir,  take  compassion  on  me. 
I  am  a  Jesuit  Father." 

Surprised  and  affected,  Berson  promised  to  help  him. 
Till  he  had  transacted  his  business,  he  sent  Father 
Jogues  to  one  of  his  friends,  who  lived  in  a  little  town 
about  ten  miles  distant,  where  he  joined  him  the  next 
day.*     He  immediately  arranged  to  take  Father  Jogues 

"    *  The  account  in  Creuxius  (Historia  Canadensis),  which  has  not  been 
followed  by  Chadevoix,  is  very  confused  as  to  what  happened  in  Eng- 


1 60  L'^f^  of  Father  Jogites. 

to  the  nearest  Jesuit  college,  that  at  Rennes,  regarding 
it  as  a  special  favor  that  he  could  act  as  his  guide.* 

After  five  days'  travel,  Father  Jogues,  on  the  5th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1644,  knocked  at  the  door  of  the  college,  where  he 
was  to  meet  his  brethren  of  the  Society  once  more.  It 
was  early  in  the  morning,  and  the  porter  had  no  suspicion 
who  the  ill-clad  man  in  the  sailor-cap  might  be;  but  hear- 
ing that  the  stranger  wished  to  see  the  Father  Rector  to 
o-ive  him  some  information  from  Canada,  the  Brother- 
porter  at  once  went  to  notify  the  head  of  the  house.  The 
Rector  was  just  putting  on  his  vestments  to  say  Mass, 
but  yielding  to  a  feeling  of  pity  as  much  as  of  curiosity, 
he  preferred  to  defer  the  holy  sacrifice  for  a  moment. 
'•'  Perhaps,"  he  said  to  himself,  ''  this  poor  man  is  in  great 
need;  perhaps  he  brings  us  some  important  intelligence 
from  the  noble  apostles  of  those  wild  parts." 

The  Rector  accordingly  hastened  down  to  the  parlor 
to  see  this  traveller,  who  handed  him  the  letters  of  rec- 
ommendation given  him  by  the  Dutch  Governor  of  New 
Netherland.  But  without  stopping  to  read  them,  the 
Superior  plied  him  with  questions  as  to  the  country  from 
which  he  came,  the  condition  of  the  Mission,  and  especi- 
ally about  Father  Jogues.  "Do  you  know  him?"  "Very 
well,"  replied  the  stranger.  "We  have  learned,"  con- 
tinued the  Rector,  "  his  capture  by  the  Iroquois,  his  cap- 
tivity and  sufferings  ;  but  we  do  not  know  what  fate  has 
befallen  him.  Is  he  dead,  or  is  he  still  alive?"  "He  is 
alive,  he  is  free,  and  it  is  he  himself  who  is  addressing 
you,"  said  Father  Jogues,  falling  at  his  Superior's  feet 
and  asking  his  blessing.  The  Rector  clasped  him  to  his 
heart,  and  took  him  into  the   house,  where  the  whole 


land  and  on  the  Breton  coast.     A  typographical  error,  huronictwi  for 
brittanicuvi,  increases  the  obscurity. 

*  The  college  at  Rennes  was  founded  in  1606,  and  soon  became 
very  flourishing.  In  1641  it  had  1484  pupils,  and  was  exceeded  only 
by  Clermont  College,  Paris,  which  had  1800;  that  of  Rouen,  which  had 
1968;  and  La  Fleche,  which  had  more  than  two  thousand. 


Let tc 7'  from  Rennes.  i6i 

community  soon  gathered  to  salute  the  heroic  missionary. 
He  had  many  questions  to  answer,  much  sympathy  to 
receive,  many  to  share  his  joy.  Every  one  wished  to  kiss 
with  respect  the  scarred  hands  and  hear  the  account  of 
his  affecting  captivity.  How  happy  is  the  moment 
when  a  brother  tried  by  so  many  disasters,  and  given  up 
for  lost,  is  found  once  more  ! 

Amid  these  transports  of  holy  joy,  all  led  the  holy 
missionary  to  the  foot  of  the  altar,  still  in  his  sailor  garb, 
to  render  just  and  fervent  thanksgiving  to  God  for  this 
wonderful  series  of  signal  benefits. 

Although  they  repeat  some  of  the  events  already  relat- 
ed, the  reader  will  peruse  with  interest  two  letters  writ- 
ten by  Father  Jogues  after  his  arrival  at  Rennes,  as  they 
lay  open  his  saintly  soul. 

One  is  addressed  to  a  friend  on  the  very  day  of  his  ar- 
rival. 

"At  last  my  sins  rendered  me  unworthy  to  die  among 
the  Iroquois  !  I  am  still  alive,  and  God  wills  it  so  for  my 
amendment.  At  least  I  recognize  it  as  a  great  favor  that 
He  has  permitted  me  to  endure  something.  '  It  is  good 
for  me  that  Thou  hast  humbled  me  ;  that  I  may  learn 
Thy  justifications  '  (  Ps.  cxviii.  71). 

"  I  sailed  on  the  5th  of  November  from  the  Dutch  set- 
tlement on  a  barque  of  fifty  tons,  which  brought  me  to 
Falmouth,  England,  on  Christmas  eve,  and  I  reached 
Lower  Brittany,  between  Brest  and  Saint-Pol  de  Leon, 
on  Christmas  day,  in  time  to  have  the  consolation  of  hear- 
ing Mass  and  performing  my  devotions.  A  good  merchant 
who  met  me  brought  me  to  Rennes,  paying  my  expenses, 
and  I  arrived  here  to-day,  Feast  of  the  Epiphany. 

"  What  a  happiness,  after  living  so  long  among  sav- 
ages, and  being  thrown  among  Calvinists,  Lutherans, 
Anabaptists,  and  Puritans,  to  find  myself  among  the  ser- 
vants of  God  in  the  Catholic  Church,  and  to  see  myself  in 
tlie  Society  of  Jesus  !  It  is  a  slight  idea  of  the  joy  we 
shall  one  day  enjoy  in  heaven,  if  it  please  God,  when  '  He 


1 62  Life  of  Father  Jogites. 

will  gather  together  the  dispersed  of  Israel  *  ( Ps.  cxlvi. 

"When  will  God  withdraw  His  hand  from  our  poor 
French  and  our  poor  Indians  ?  '  Woe  is  me:  why  was  I 
born  to  see  the  ruin  of  my  people  ?'  (i  Mac.  ii.  7.)  My 
sins  and  the  infidelities  of  my  past  life  have  made  weighty 
indeed  the  hand  of  God's  majesty  justly  incensed  against 
us. 

"  I  beg  Your  Reverence  to  obtain  for  me  of  our  Lord  a 
perfect  conversion,  and  that  this  little  chastisement  which 
He  has  given  me  may  serve,  as  He  designed,  to  render 
me  better.  Father  Raymbault,  Father  Dolebeau,  and 
Father  Davost,  are  then  dead  ?  *  They  were  ripe  for 
heaven,  and  New  France  has  in  one  year  lost  three  per- 
sons who  had  labored  greatly  there. 

"  I  do  not  know  whether  a  copy  of  the  '  Relation  of  the 
Hurons '  has  been  received  this  year.  It  was  sent  down 
to  the  French  in  the  month  of  June,  and  was  given  to  me 
in  the  Iroquois  country  with  a  large  package  of  letters 
which  our  Fathers  on  the  Huron  Mission  were  sending 
to  France.  Had  I  thought  that  God  designed  to  deliver 
me,  I  would  have  brought  it  with  me  when  I  went  to 
visit  the  Dutch.     All  was  left  in  the  cabin  where  I  lived. 


*  Father  Dolebeau  came  to  Canada  in  1640,  and  remained  from  that 
time  at  the  mission  of  Miscou,  on  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence.  Ill- 
health  compelled  him  to  sail  for  France  in  1643,  but  the  vessel  was 
captured  by  three  of  the  enemy's  frigates,  and  while  they  were  plun- 
dering it,  the  magazine  took  fire  and  blew  up.  All  on  board  perished. 
Some  historians  confound  the  Jesuit  Father  Dolebeau  with  a  Recollect 
Father  Dolbeau,  who  arrived  in  Canada  in  1615,  and  returned  to 
France  in  1629. 

Father  Ambrose  Davost  came  to  Canada  in  1632  with  Father  An- 
thony Daniel,  and  was  employed  at  first  at  St.  Anne,  on  the  Island  of 
Cape  Breton.  He  was  then  successively  on  the  Huron  Mission  at 
Quebec  and  Montreal.  Suffering  greatly  from  scurvy,  he  was  sent 
back  to  France  in  1643,  but  died  on  the  way,  and  the  ocean  was  his 
grave  also. 


•    Letter  to  Father  Laleniaiit.  163 

"  The  next  time  I  will  write  a  longer  letter  ;  let  this  suf- 
fice for  the  first  day  of  my  arrival. 
"  Rennes,  January  5,  1644." 

The  second  letter  of  Father  Jogues  was  addressed  to 
Father  Charles  Lalemant,  then  Procurator  of  the  Canada 
Mission  at  Paris. 

"  Rennes,  January  6,  1644. 

"  '  Now  I  know  in  very  deed  that  the  Lord  hath  sent 
His  angels  and  hath  delivered  me  out  of  the  hand  of 
Herod,  and  from  all  the  expectation  of  the  people  of  the 
Jews'  (Acts  xii.  11).  The  Iroquois  came  to  the  Dutch 
post  about  the  middle  of  September,  and  made  a  great 
deal  of  disturbance,  but  at  last  received  the  presents 
made  by  the  captain  who  had  me  concealed.  They 
amounted  to  about  three  hundred  livres,  which  I  will  en- 
endeavor  to  repay.  All  things  being  quieted,  I  was  sent  to 
Manhattan,  where  the  Governor  of  the  country  resides. 
He  received  me  very  kindly,  gave  me  clothes,  and  pas- 
sage i'n  a  vessel  which  crossed  the  ocean  in  mid-winter. 

"Having  reached  England,  I  got  on  a  collier's  vessel, 
which  brought  me  to  Lower  Brittany,  with  a  night-cap 
on  my  head,  in  utter  want  of  everything,  as  you  landed 
at  St.  Sebastian,  but  not  after  two  shipwrecks."  * 

The  mother  of  Father  Jogues  was  still  alive,  and  it  is 
easy  to  understand  the  anguish  and  perplexity  of  her 
motherly  heart  when  she  heard  of  the  sufferings  of  her 
beloved  son.  He  hastened  to  write  to  her  the  day  after 
he  reached  Rennes,  but  the  letter  has  not  been  preserved 
to  our  time. 

The  missionary  did  not  remain  long  at  Rennes.     His 

*  Father  Jogues  alludes  to  two  shipwrecks  of  Father  Charles  Lale- 
mant. The  first  occurred  on  his  unfortunate  attempt  to  carry  supplies 
to  his  brethren  in  Canada  in  1629.  A  storm  prevented  the  vessel 
from  entering  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  and  drove  it  on  the  south  side 
of  Cape  Breton.  Father  Noyrot  and  Brother  Malo  lost  their  lives. 
When  returning  to  Europe  that  same  year  Father  Charles  Lalemant 
was  wrecked  on  the  coast  of  Spain. 


164  ^^f^  of  Father  Jogtces, 

Superior  summoned  him  to  Paris,  where  all  impatiently 
expected  him.  Everywhere  he  received  the  same  wel- 
come and  excited  the  same  interest.  He  was  justly  re- 
garded as  a  Confessor  of  the  Faith,  and  the  marks  of  his 
victory  on  his  mutilated  body  were  lovingly  venerated 
by  all. 

Queen  Anne  of  Austria,  when  she  heard  of  the  arrival 
of  the  missionary,  whose  virtues  and  travails  she  knew, 
said  in  the  presence  of  the  courtiers,  "  Romances  are 
written  every  day  which  are  a  tissue  of  fictions  :  here  is 
one  that  is  true,  and  that  combines  the  wonderful  with 
the  most  admirable  heroism."  She  wished  to  see  the 
missionary,  and  was  moved  to  tears  on  beholding  the 
scarcely  healed  wounds  inflicted  by  the  cruelty  of  the 
Iroquois.  The  sentiment  she  experienced  was  like  that 
displayed  by  Constantine  to  the  Fathers  of  the  Council 
of  Nice,  when  he  respectfully  kissed  the  wounds  of  those 
glorious  defenders  of  the  Faith. 

While  Father  Jogues  remained  in  France  a  petition 
was  forwarded  to  Rome  to  obtain  from  the  Sovereign 
Pontiff  faculty  for  him  to  say  Mass,  notwithstanding  the 
mutilated  condition  of  his  hands.  The  reputation  of  the 
servant  of  God  and  the  account  of  his  combats  had  al- 
ready reached  the  Eternal  City.  The  Sovereign  Pontiff, 
Urban  VIII.,  filled  with  admiration  at  such  heroic  cour- 
age, replied  in  these  famous  words  :  ^^  Indignum  esset 
Christi  martyrefu,  Christi  non  bibere  sanguinem'' — "It  would 
be  unjust  that  a  martyr  for  Christ  should  not  drink  the 
blood  of  Christ." 

The  humble  missionary  was  pained  at  the  notoriety 
and  the  honors  paid  him.  People  came  out  of  devotion 
to  hear  his  Mass,  where  all  admired  his  humility,  mod- 
esty, and  piety.  The  more  people  spoke  about  him,  the 
more  deeply  he  seemed  impressed  with  his  own  nothing- 
ness; and  far  from  wishing  to  speak  of  his  past  sufferings, 
it  was  a  torture  for  him  to  hear  others  converse  about  it, 
or  to  be  obliged  to  show  his  maimed  and  distorted  fin- 


His  Modesty.  165 

gers  as  a  curiosity.  His  Superiors  were  even  obliged  to 
recommend  that  his  sensitiveness  on  this  point  should  be 
respected. 

A  soldier  does  not  display  the  wounds  he  receives  in 
the  service  of  his  country  more  proudly  than  the  servant 
of  God  strove  to  hide  the  wounds  which  covered  his  body 
and  which,  like  St.  Paul,  he  might  call  the  stigmata  of 
Christ. 

The  repugnance  of  Father  Jogues  to  be  seen  abroad 
was  the  chief  motive  why  he  resisted  the  entreaties  of 
his  family,  who  were  anxious  to  enjoy  his  presence,  and 
to  see  more  intimately  his  virtues,  which  were  so  gene- 
rally recognized.  Like  Xavier,  his  model,  he  would  not 
yield  to  their  pious  wishes.  This  lawful  consolation 
seemed  to  him  incompatible  with  the  career  of  sacrifice 
that  he  had  embraced,  and  the  apostolic  ministry  which 
Providence  had  confided  to  him.  Moreover,  if  his  mod- 
esty had  something  to  undergo  in  the  seclusion  of 
houses  of  his  own  order,  how  could  it  but  shrink  in 
dread  from  what  must  be  experienced  if  he  appeared 
publicly  in  places  where  he  was  so  well  known  ? 

This  truly  apostolic  heart,  from  all  the  testimonies  of 
admiration,  friendship,  and  veneration  lavished  on  him, 
drew  only  one  conclusion — that  he  must  return  to  the 
field  of  battle  where  he  had  fought  so  valiantly.  He 
longed  for  his  beloved  Mission,  with  which  he  had 
formed  so  close  an  alliance,  cemented  by  his  blood.  One 
of  his  confidential  friends,  who  knew  his  ideas  inti- 
mately, said««Gf  him,  "  He  is  as  cheerful  as  though  he 
had  suffered  nothing  ;  he  is  as  zealous  to  return  to  the 
Hurons,  amid  all  the  dangers,  as  though  he  considered 
the  dangers  a  shelter  and  a  port." 

His  Superiors  did  not  wish  to  thwart  his  holy  desire  : 
he  had  shown  himself  worthy  of  so  noble  a  heritage,  and 
his  heart  always  cherished  the  fond  hope  that  he  would 
receive  the  crown  of  martyrdom,  which  he  had  seen  so 
often  glittering  above  his  head. 


1 66  Life  of  Father  J0g2e.es, 

Father  Jogues  had  spent  only  a  few  months  in  France 
when,  in  the  spring  of  1644,  he  resolved  to  take  advan- 
tage of  a  ship  which  was  clearing  at  Rochelle  for  Canada, 
and  he  embarked  once  more  for  his  Mission. 

His  heart  was  more  inflamed  than  ever  with  the  desire 
to  labor  for  God's  glory.  The  signal  benefits  that  he 
had  received  seemed  to  bind  him  more  closely  to  the 
divine  service,  and  to  require  a  more  generous  and  com- 
plete sacrifice  of  himself  than  ever.  The  voyage  afforded 
him  more  than  one  occasion  to  practise  this  zeal,  and  he 
did  not  let  them  pass  unimproved. 

The  vessel  which  bore  him  had  scarcely  lost  sight  of 
the  shores  of  France  when  the  discontented  sailors  mu- 
tinied against  the  captain,  and  formed  a  plot  to  compel 
him  to  put  back,  on  the  pretext  that  the  vessel  was  un- 
seaworthy.  After  experiencing  very  violent  winds,  they 
believed  that  she  could  not  safely  make  a  long  voyage; 
at  all  events,  they  resolved  not  to  make  it  at  their  risk 
and  peril. 

These  murmurs  reached  the  ears  of  Father  Jogues, 
and  he  easily  saw  how  far  this  germ  of  insubordination 
might  carry  the  men.  He  interposed  without  hesitation, 
and  by  his  prudence  and  the  ascendancy  acquired  by 
his  virtue,  his  words  of  peace  found  hearers.  The  men's 
minds  settled  down,  and  order  and  harmony  soon  pre- 
vailed in  the  ship.  The  presence  of  the  holy  priest  in- 
spired all  with  confidence,  and  seemed  a  more  effica- 
cious security  than  all  the  resources  of  human  prudence. 
They  soon  had  tokens  of  God's  special  protection. 

In  the  midst  of  the  voyage  the  ship  was  assailed  by  a 
furious  storm.  Hell  seemed  to  have  let  loose  all  the 
fury  of  the  elements,  and  the  danger  seemed  so  great, 
even  to  men  the  most  inured  to  the  sea,  that  all  gave  up 
hope,  and  at  once  raised  the  fearful  cry,  "  We  must  go 
down!" 

At  that  moment  Father  Jogues,  kneeling  in  his  cabin, 
was  piously  reading  the   Holy   Scriptures.      The   noise 


Voyage  to  Canada.  167 

which  he  heard  on  deck  recalled  him  from  his  consoling 
contemplation,  and  he  ran  up  his  mind  full  of  a  passage 
of  the  prophet  Isaias,  which  he  had  just  read,  where  God 
reproaches  His  people  with  their  prevarication.  He  re- 
peated the  passage  aloud  in  an  animated  tone,  to  produce 
in  all  hearts  the  thought  of  God,  and  induce  them  to 
recur  to  His  mercy. 

His  words  produced  fruit  even  in  the  most  hardened 
hearts.  Alarmed  at  the  presence  of  what  seemed  imminent 
death,  and  touched  by  grace,  these  men  were  the  first  to 
fall  at  the  missionary's  feet,  to  avow  their  faults  and  im- 
plore pardon  for  them.  God  seemed  to  await  the  cry  of 
repentance  to  turn  away  the  thunders  of  His  wrath  and 
reduce  the  demon  to  impotence.  The  storm  soon  passed 
away.  A  favorable  wind  impelled  the  ship  and  brought 
it  to  the  desired  haven.  Late  in  June  Father  Jogues 
was  able  to  embrace  his  brethren  in  Quebec,  and  rejoice 
with  them  and  all  the  inhabitants  on  the  ways  of  Provi- 
dence towards  him. 

The  servant  of  God  immediately  placed  himself  in  the 
hands  of  the  Rev.  Father  Vimont,  the  Superior  of  the 
Mission,  to  resume  his  apostolical  labors.  He  was  at  once 
sent  to  Ville  Marie,  as  Montreal  is  called  in  the  language 
of  religion,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  above  Quebec. 
Indians  of  various  tribes  were  beginning  to  frequent 
this  place,  and  Father  Jogues'  familiarity  with  their  lan- 
guages might  prove  of  great  use. 

The  foundation  of  tbis  post  dated  back  barely  two 
years.  It  was  the  western  frontier  post  of  the  French, 
and  of  course  the  most  exposed.  It  had  been  established 
in  a  delightful  and  fertile  spot  on  the  south  side  of  Mont- 
real Island,  which  had  been  visited  by  Jacques  Cartier 
in  1534.  He  gave  the  name  of  Mont-royal  to  the 
high  mountain  that  rises  from  its  shore,  and  which 
towers  above  the  surrounding  country  like  a  king  over 
his  subjects.     At  its  foot  the  hardy  navigator  found  the 


1 68  I^if^  of  Father  Jogues, 

great  Indian  village  of  Hochelaga,  where  he  was  received 
with  the  highest  honor. 

When  Champlain  reached  this  spot  in  1611  the  Indian 
town  had  utterly  vanished,  but  the  beauty  of  the  site, 
the  fertile  soil,  the  teeming  woods  and  waters,  the  facili- 
ty it  enjoyed  for  communicating  with  all  parts  of  the 
country,  struck  the  able  commander,  and  he  marked  the 
spot  as  a  post  to  be  occupied  as  soon  as  possible.  He 
seemed  to  foresee  the  future  importance  of  that  city,  and 
the  great  strides  it  was  to  make.  In  commerce,  wealth, 
and  population — now  exceeding  150,000  souls — Montreal 
is  the  most  important  city  in  Canada. 

The  foundation  of  this  city  was  exclusively  religious 
in  its  character.  A  great  servant  of  God,  the  venerable 
Mr.  Olier,  founder  of  the  Sulpitians,  impelled  by  the 
Spirit  of  God,  gathered  several  zealous  hearts  to  form  in 
Canada  an  active  centre  for  propagating  religion  among 
the  Indian  inhabitants  of  those  parts.  They  were  to  ex- 
clude from  their  plan  every  motive  of  interest,  and  all 
human  considerations. 

The  execution  of  this  project  was  confided  to  a  brave 
and  virtuous  gentleman,  Mr.  de  Maisonneuve,  and  he  ar- 
rived at  the  spot  on  the  17th  of  May,  1642,  with  the  first 
forty  settlers,  all  animated  with  the  same  courage  and 
the  same  religious  sentiment.  They  came  in  arms,  for 
at  that  time,  in  the  very  heat  of  the  Iroquois  war,  men 
had  to  be  as  ready  to  handle  the  musket  as  the  plough. 

To  take  possession,  they  planted  the  banner  of  France 
and  the  symbol  of  Faith.  Father  Vimont  had  accom- 
panied them,  and  the  very  first  day  he  offered  the  holy 
sacrifice  in  a  humble  bark  chapel,  to  consecrate  to  God 
the  soil  over  which  Satan  had  till  then  reigned  as  master. 

Born  under  such  auspices,  the  little  colony  expanded 
under  the  salutary  influence  of  religion,  and  always  re- 
tained that  characteristic.  Faith  and  piety  formed  its 
soul;  peace  and  harmony  reigned  there.  Hence  a  chron- 
icler of  that  time   could   say  in  truth,  "  If  till  now  this 


VilLe  Marie.  169 

wilderness  has  been  the  domain  of  demons,  it  is  now  in- 
habited by  angels." 

When  Father  Jogues  arrived  in  Montreal,  the  bark 
lodges  had  been  replaced  by  substantial  wooden  houses. 
A  small  hospital  had  already  been  erected,  as  well  as  a 
chapel  and  missionary's  house.* 

The  servant  of  God  immediately  began  his  labors 
among  the  Indian  travellers,  who  frequently  landed  at 
this  place,  but  he  also  devoted  himself  to  maintain  the 
fervor  of  the  little  colony.  Three  years  after,  Father 
Jerome  Lalemant  was  to  give  this  high  testimony  in  re- 
gard to  his  stay  at  this  post:  "  His  memory  still  lives 
there.  The  odor  of  his  virtues  always  revives  and  con- 
soles all  who  had  the  happiness  to  know  him  and  hold 
intercourse  with  him." 

The  successful  beginnings  of  Ville  Marie  were  in 
strange  contrast  with  the  agitation  and  panic  then  pre- 
vailing through  the  whole  colony.  The  Iroquois  war 
had  assumed  an  alarming  character  of  boldness  and 
fury.  They  infested  every  road.  They  seemed  to  have 
arranged  their  plan  of  attack  on  a  more  extended  scale 
than  ever,  and  with  a  strategic  skill  not  to  be  expected 
among  Indians.  Their  warriors  divided  into  ten  bands, 
were  posted  in  a  line  covering  all  the  ways  of  travel. 
They  had  learned  to  occupy  points  from  which  they 
could  discern  canoes  or  travellers  ten  or  twelve  miles  off 
without  being  themselves  observed,  and  they  never  made 
an  attack  unless  they  thought  they  were  superior  in 
numbers. 

It  was  insecure  to  travel  even  in  the  country  of  the 
Hurons,  and  the  Algonquins  no  longer  dared  to  come 
down  to  Quebec.     "  I  would  almost  as  soon  be  besieged 


*The  Jesuit  Fathers  had  charge  of  the  church  in  this  rising  city 
only  during  its  first  fifteen  years, — that  is  to  say,  till  the  arrival  of  the 
Sulpitians  sent  by  Mr.  Olier,  who  became  seigneurs  and  pastors  of 
the  whole  island. 


170  Life  of  Father  Jogues, 

by  phantoms  as  by  Iroquois,"  wrote  Father  Vimont. 
"One  is  scarcely  more  visible  than  the  other.  When  they 
are  at  a  distance,  we  suppose  them  to  be  at  our  very 
doors;  and  they  pounce  on  their  prey  when  we  imagine 
them  to  be  in  their  own  country." 

This  difficulty  had  for  three  years  prevented  the  French 
from  sending  any  supplies  to  the  missionaries  in  the  Hu- 
ron country,  and  the  Superior  at  Quebec  rightly  consid- 
ered that  they  must  be  in  great  distress.  Their  clothes 
were  falling  in  tatters,  and  their  provisions  were  exhaust- 
ed. In  the  spring  of  1644  it  was  decided  to  make  an 
attempt  to  carry  them  some  relief. 

There  was  then  at  Quebec  a  young  missionary  from 
the  Roman  province.  Father  Joseph  Bressani,  who  had 
just  arrived  for  the  Canada  Mission,  for  which  he  had 
petitioned  earnestly.  He  had  made  such  an  impression 
for  virtue  and  courage,  that  he  was  deemed  fit  to  lead 
this  perilous  expedition;  but  his  Indian  apostolate  was 
to  begin  by  captivity  and  his  preaching  by  suffering. 

A  young  Frenchman  and  some  Christian  Hurons 
formed  his  escort.  To  be  ready  for  any  event,  they  had 
all  prepared  for  this  voyage  as  if  they  were  to  meet 
death  on  the  way.  The  Governor  distributed  arque- 
buses among  them;  but  the  joy  caused  by  this  present, 
which  was  at  that  time  made  only  to  Christians,  was 
the  innocent  cause  of  their  ruin.  Their  constant  firing 
betrayed  them  to  some  Iroquois  who  formed  an  ambus- 
cade on  the  banks  of  Lake  Saint-Pierre.  They  arranged 
their  plan  of  surprise  deliberately,  so  as  to  fall  on  the 
convoy  without  giving  the  Hurons  time  to  defend  them- 
selves. And  so  it  turned  out.  One  single  Huron  fell 
in  the  attack.  Father  Bressani  and  all  the  neophytes 
were  taken  prisoners  and  condemned  to  horrible  tor- 
tures.    But  after  four  months'  captivity  the  missionary* 

*  Like  Father  Jogues,  Father  Bressani  was  the  historian  of  his  own 
sufferings.  His  account,  full  of  touching  simplicity,  is  contained  in 
an  interesting  history  of  the  Huron  Mission  which  he  published  at 


Hope  of  Peace.  i  7 1 

was  ransomed  by  the  Dutch  of  Rensselaerswyck  and 
sent  to  Europe. 

The  news  of  the  capture  of  Father  Bressani  and  of  his 
neophytes  filled  the  French  colony  with  consternation. 
Deprived  of  all  succor  from  Europe,  the  Governor  was 
powerless  to  punish  the  Iroquois  or  lay  down  the  law 
to  them.  The  few  soldiers  at  his  command  barely  en- 
abled him  to  maintain  the  posts  occupied  by  the  French 
so  as  to  secure  their  respect.  Fortunately  the  Iroquois 
were  not  aware  of  the  real  weakness  of  the  colony. 

In  this  precarious  situation  Governor  Montmagny  saw 
no  resource  except  in  a  treaty  of  peace  with  these  cruel 
enemies,  but  he  wished  to  make  one  that  would  not  de- 
tract from  the  honor  of  France.  Fortunately  for  the 
colony,  a  powerful  party  among  the  Iroquois  also  inclined 
to  peace,  and  made  no  secret  of  its  wishes.  They  saw 
that  war  was  sapping  the  strength  of  the  nation:  their 
warriors  gradually  disappeared,  with  none  to  succeed 
them,  so  that  the  victories  would  ultimately  become 
disasters.  They  had,  moreover,  at  that  moment  an 
obstinate  war  to  maintain  against  a  powerful  nation  in 
the  South,  and  a  diversion  would  be  fatal  to  them. 

When  these  dispositions  were  known,  the  Governor 
sought  an  opportunity  to  open  negotiations  without 
compromising  the  dignity  of  France,  and  he  found  one 
soon  after,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  month  of  May. 

Two  Iroquois  warriors  had  been  captured  by  the 
Algonquins,  and  according   to  custom    they  were  con- 


Macerata,  in  Italian,  in  1653.  A  French  translation  appeared  in  Mont- 
real, Canada,  in  1852.  Father  Bressani  returned  to  Canada  in  1646, 
and  remained  till  the  destruction  of  the  Huron  Mission  three  years 
afterwards.  On  returning  to  the  Roman  province  he  produced  great 
fruit  as  a  missionary,  due  less  to  his  eloquence  than  to  his  fame  as  an 
Indian  missionary, and  the  glorious  scars  seen  on  his  hands.  Michaud's 
"Bibliographie  Universelle  "  and  Didot's"  Biographie  Generale  "  make 
two  distinct  men  of  the  missionary,  under  the  names  Brassoni  and 
Bressani;  and  Father  Patrignani  in  his  Menology  incorrectly  gives 
his  name  as  Bresciani. 


172  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

demned  to  the  stake.  The  Governor  interposed,  and 
having  obtained  their  deliverance,  sent  them  home  as  a 
testimony  of  his  good-will,  and  to  induce  them  to  labor 
to  secure  peace.  He  then  endeavored  to  induce  the 
Hurons,  who  had  so  much  to  dread  from  the  war  with  the 
Iroquois,  to  take  a  similar  step.  He  asked  some  of  their 
warriors  to  set  free  an  Iroquois  prisoner  who  had  fallen 
into  their  hands,  and  even  made  them  presents  to  obtain 
it.  The  pride  of  the  Hurons  took  offence,  and  thirst  for 
vengeance  made  them  obstinate.  When  he  proposed  it, 
one  of  the  chiefs  made  a  reply  which  from  any  but  the 
mouth  of  a  savage  would  have  been  an  insult,  whilst  it 
revealed  a  pride  of  character  and  the  depth  of  the  wound 
inflicted  on  his  nation:  ''I  am  a  man  of  war,  and  not  a 
trader;  I  have  come  to  fight,  not  to  barter.  It  is  my 
glory  to  take  back  not  presents,  but  prisoners.  I  will 
not  touch  your  hatchets  and  kettles.  If  you  are  so  anx- 
ious to  have  this  prisoner,  take  him.  I  am  strong  enough 
to  go  and  capture  another.  If  I  lose  my  life  they  will 
say  in  my  country,  '  Onontio  took  their  prisoner,  and 
they  doomed  themselves  to  death  to  capture  another.'" 
Charles,  a  Christian  Huron,  interposed  in  this  con- 
tention and  spoke  with  more  modesty  and  reason:  "  Be  not 
angry,  Onontio,"  said  he;  "  it  is  not  to  thwart  you  that  we 
act  so;  but  our  honor  and  our  life  are  at  stake.  We  have 
promised  our  sachems  to  place  in  their  hands  any  pris- 
oner whom  we  took.  As  the  soldiers  around  you  obey 
your  command,  so  we  must  obey  those  who  command 
us.  What  reply  could  we  make  to  the  reproach  of  the 
whole  country,  if  when  they  knew  we  had  made  prison- 
ers, they  should  see  in  our  hands  only  hatchets  and  ket- 
tles ?  We  should  be  condemned  as  men  of  no  sense  to 
decide  a  matter  of  this  kind  without  the  direction  of  the 
sachems.  You  wish  peace;  so  do  we;  and  our  sachems 
do  not  oppose  it.  If  we  released  our  prisoner,  our  life 
would  be  compromised.  The  Iroquois  are  everywhere 
on  our  route.     If  we  meet  them  we  need  fear  nothing, 


Peace  Negotiations.  173 

as  we  can  show  our  prisoner  unharmed,  whom  we  wish 
to  deliver  to  our  sachems  as  a  means  of  securing  peace." 

To  this  judicious  and  well-considered  speech  there  was 
no  reply.  The  Governor  saw  how  much  was  to  be 
gained  by  allowing  the  Hurons  to  take  the  first  step. 
He  did  no  more  than  urge  them  earnestly  to  do  so,  and 
in  fact  the  Huron  sachems  did  send  the  prisoner  back 
to  his  tribe. 

This  generous  conduct  of  the  French  and  their  allies 
bore  its  fruit.  The  Mohawks  also  were  stimulated  to 
show  their  generosity,  and  as  a  token  of  their  good-will 
they  set  at  liberty  William  Couture,  the  young  French- 
man who  was  a  fellow-prisoner  with  Father  Jogues,  and 
sent  him  home  accompanied  by  three  Iroquois,  who  were 
appointed  to  open  negotiations  for  peace. 

The  arrival  of  this  embassy  was  an  event  for  the  colony. 
It  reached  Three  Rivers  on  the  5th  of  July,  1644.  The 
whole  French  and  Indian  population  flocked  to  the 
shore.  Kiotsaeton,  whom  the  French  nicknamed  Le 
Crochet,  was  the  chief  of  the  embassy.  He  was  sup- 
ported by  Chief  Atogouaekouan,  or  the  Great  Spoon. 
"  The  latter,"  says  Father  Le  Jeune,  "  was  of  fine  stature, 
well-formed,  bold  and  eloquent,  but  treacherous  and  a 
mocker." 

Kiotsaeton  was  attired  in  his  richest  garments.  Orna- 
ments of  every  kind  and  color  decked  his  head,  his  neck, 
and  his  wrists.  He  stopped  his  canoe  before  reaching 
the  land,  and  before  stepping  ashore  rose  in  the  bow 
and  said  to  the  crowd,  ''  I  have  left  my  country  to  come 
and  see  you.  I  was  told  that  I  came  to  seek  death,  and 
that  I  should  never  again  see  my  native  soil:  I  feared 
naught.  I  have  willingly  exposed  my  life  for  the  sake 
of  peace.  I  come  in  all  confidence  to  bring  you  the 
thoughts  of  the  Iroquois." 

The  cannon  of  the  fort  saluted  the  arrival  of  the  Iro- 
quois. All  was  done  to  give  an  exalted  idea  of  the  power 
and  magnificence  of  the  French.     The  hero  of  the  hour, 


174  L^f^  of  Father  Jogices. 

however,  was  good  Couture,  who  had  long  been  given 
up  for  dead.  Every  one  manifested  his  joy,  and  blessed 
the  Lord  with  him  on  his  happy  deliverance.  Towards 
the  end  his  captivity  had  ceased  to  be  rigorous.  "  The 
Iroquois  held  him  in  esteem  and  reputation;  and  he 
assumed  the  air  of  a  chief,  having  acquired  this  credit 
by  his  prudence  and  wisdom,"  says  the  Venerable  Mother 
Mary  of  the  Incarnation,  in  one  of  her  letters,  "so  amia- 
ble is  virtue  even  among  savages." 

The  negotiations  for  peace  brought  Father  Jogues 
once  more  on  the  scene.  He  was  summoned  to  Three 
Rivers  to  aid  in  following  them  up.  Without  ceasing 
to  be  an  apostle,  he  was  about  to  become  a  negotiator 
For  him  it  was  the  path  of  martyrdom. 


Assembly  at  Three  Rivers.  i  75 


CHAPTER    XIL 

Great  Assembly  at  Three  Rivers— The  Treaty  of  Peace — Father 
Jogues  among  the  Iroquois — A  Toilsome  Journey — He  Returns 
to  Three  Rivers. 

y^jx  N  the  12th  of  July,  1644,  a  solemn  assembly  was  con- 
wy  vened  at  Three  Rivers,  in  the  open  square  of  the 
fort.  The  Governor-General  presided,  having  be- 
side him  Mr.  de  Champflour,  commandant  of  the  city,  and 
Father  Vimont,  representing  Rev.  Father  Lalemant, 
Superior  of  the  Missions,  who  had  been  detained  among 
the  Hurons.  Sails  from  the  shipping  formed  a  vast  tent. 
A  short  distance  before  the  arm-chair  of  the  Chevalier  de 
Montmagny  was  a  seat  covered  with  spruce  bark  for  the 
Iroquois.  Behind  them  stood  the  Algonquins,  the  Mon- 
tagnais,  and  the  Attikamegues.  Hurons  and  French  in- 
termingled were  arrayed  on  either  side. 

The  Iroquois  had  planted  two  poles  in  the  middle  of 
the  open  space,  and  the  cord  between  them  was  to  hold 
the  seventeen  wampum  belts,*  which  were  their  word. 

This  curious  and  animated  scene  depicts  to  the  life  the 
manners  and   character  of  the  Indian.     A  slave  of  the 


*  The  Indians  in  this  part  of  America  made  beads  of  the  clam-shell, 
which  the  English  called  luaiupiun,  from  its  Algonquin  name,  and  the 
Yrznch porcelaine,  from  "  porcella,"  the  scientific  name.  The  polished 
glassy  shell  was  broken  into  pieces,  rubbed  into  beads,  and  pierced. 
Of  these  they  made  single  strings  or  collars,  which  served  as  adorn- 
ment and  a  pledge  and  guarantee  in  solemn  transactions.  Beads  in- 
troduced by  Europeans  soon  took  the  place  of  shells.  The  Iroquois 
Confederacy  still  preserve  ancient  wampum  belts  received  in  negotia- 
tions from  the  French. 


176  Life  of  Fatlie7^  Jogices. 

senses,  everything  must  speak  to  his  eyes.  He  invests  all 
his  words  with  imagery;  and  his  imagination,  ever  in 
contact  with  nature,  borrows  thence,  in  most  cases,  its 
comparisons  and  illustrations.  Good  sense,  eloquence, 
and  noble  thought  do  not  depend  on  education  merely, 
and  under  the  rough  exterior  of  these  children  of  the 
forest  are  often  found  the  crafty  diplomatist  and  the 
pathetic  orator. 

When  all  were  seated  Kiotsaeton  rose.  He  was  at 
once  seen  to  be  a  man  accustomed  to  such  duties,  and  he 
discharged  them  with  a  dignity  that  savored  nothing  of 
barbarism;  his  memory  seemed  marvellous.  He  readily 
explained  the  meaning  of  each  belt,  and  the  article  of  the 
treaty  which  it  symbolized,  as  fluently  as  though  he  had 
a  written  document  in  his  hands.  Metaphors  and  figures 
flowed  as  from  a  fountain,  accompanied  by  expressive 
and  pantomimic  gestures. 

Taking  up  the  first  collar,  he  addressed  the  Governor- 
General:  ''Onontio,  give  ear  to  my  voice.  I  am  the 
mouth  of  my  whole  nation.  You  hear  all  the  Iroquois 
when  you  listen  to  my  words.  My  heart  has  no  crooked 
thoughts;  my  intentions  are  upright.  We  wish  to  forget 
all  our  war-cries  and  change  them  to  songs  of  joy." 
Then  he  began  to  chant  and  gesticulate  as  he  strode  up 
and  down,  his  comrades  beating  time  with  a /// in  ca- 
dence, and  strongly  aspirated,  sounded  from  the  depth 
of  the  chest. 

Kiotsaeton  often  looked  up  to  the  sun,  and  grasped  his 
arms  with  his  hands,  as  if  to  press  out  their  warlike 
strength,  which  had  kept  them  so  long  equipped  for  war. 
He  soon  resumed  a  calmer  manner,  and  continued: 
''  This  belt  which  I  present  to  you  thanks  you  for  sparing 
the  life  of  my  brother,  Tokrahenchiaron,  whom  you  res- 
cued from  the  fire  and  the  teeth  of  theHurons;  but  why 
did  you  let  him  set  out  alone  ?  If  his  canoe  had  capsized 
who  was  there  to  help  him  right  it  ?  If  he  had  drowned 
or  perished  by  any  other  accident  you  would  have  heard 


Kiotsaetons  Address.  177 

no  news  of  peace,  and  would  perhaps  have  blamed  us 
for  a  fault  tliat  was  all  on  your  own  side." 

After  hanging  this  belt  on  the  cord,  he  took  a  second, 
tied  it  around  Couture's  arm,  tlien  turning  to  the  Gov- 
ernor said:  ''Father,  tliis  belt  brings  back  your  subject; 
but  I  was  far  from  saying,  'Take  this  canoe  and  go  back 
to  Quebec'  My  mind  would  not  have  been  at  ease 
till  I  heard  positive  tidings  of  his  safe  arrival.  My 
brother  whom  you  sent  back  suffered  much,  and  en- 
countered many  dangers.  He  had  to  carry  his  baggage 
alone;  to  paddle  all  day,  and  drag  his  canoe  around  the 
rapids.  He  had  at  the  same  time  to  be  always  on  his 
guard  against  being  surprised." 

Animated  gesticulations  accompanied  all  these  words. 
Sometimes  you  saw  an  Indian  pushing  his  canoe  along 
with  a  pole,  sometimes  keeping  off  a  wave  or  avoiding 
a  rock  with  his  paddle.  At  one  moment  he  was  ex- 
hausted and  out  of  breath,  then  he  regained  courage  and 
rested  for  a  time.  Then  he  began  to  march  like  a  man 
making  a  portage,  and  pretended  to  stumble  over  a  stone, 
after  which,  as  if  lamed,  he  limped  along  in  pain.  "  If 
3^ou  had  even  helped  him  to  get  beyond  the  most  difficult 
places  !  Indeed,  Father,  I  do  not  know  where  your  mind 
was  when  you  sent  back  one  of  your  children  in  that 
way,  alone  and  unaided.  I  did  not  act  so  with  Couture. 
I  told  him,  '  Come,  nephew,  follow  me.  I  will  restore 
you  to  your  family  at  the  risk  of  my  life.'  " 

Each  belt  had  thus  its  particular  object.  The  fourth 
declared  that  the  Iroquois  renounced  all  thoughts  of 
vengeance  for  their  brethren  slain  by  the  Algonquins  in 
the  spring,  and  he  gave  his  thought  this  ingenious  turn: 
"As  I  came  hither  I  passed  by  the  field  of  the  last  bat- 
tle, where  these  two  brothers  were  taken  prisoners.  I 
marched  as  fast  as  I  could,  so  as  not  to  see  the  blood  of 
my  countrymen  shed  by  Piescaret*  and  the  Algonquins. 


*  A  famous  Algonquin  chief. 


178  Lif^  of  Father  Jogties. 

As  their  bodies  are  still  unburied,  I  turned  away  my 
eyes,  that  my  wrath  should  not  be  enkindled." 

He  began  to  strike  the  ground  and  to  listen;  then  he 
went  on:  "  I  have  heard  the  voice  of  my  ancestors  slain 
of  old  by  the  Algonquins;  they  saw  me  burning  for  re- 
venge; they  said  to  me  gently,  'Be  good,  grandson; 
hearken  not  to  resentment.  It  would  be  useless  to  tr}'  and 
deliver  us  from  death.  Think  of  the  living  and  work 
for  them;  avert  the  sword  from  above  their  heads,  and 
the  fire  kindled  to  consume  them.'" 

The  fifth  belt  drove  off  the  enemies'  canoes.  The  sixth 
smoothed  the  rapids  on  the  way  to  the  country  of  the 
Iroquois.     The  eighth  was  to  build  a  road. 

"  You  v/ould  have  said,"  writes  Father  Vimont,  "  that 
he  was  felling  trees,  lopping  off  branches,  clearing  away 
woods,  filling  up  the  hollow  spots  with  earth."  "  There," 
said  he,  "  is  the  road  all  clean,  smooth,  and  straight."  He 
stooped  towards  the  ground,  looking  to  see  whether 
there  were  no  thorns  or  wood,  whether  there  was  any 
inequality  that  one  could  stumble  over.  "It  is  all 
ready,"  he  added;  "the  smoke  of  our  cabins  can  be  seen 
from  Quebec  to  the  end  of  our  country.*  All  obstacles 
are  removed." 

The  tenth  belt,  larger  and  finer  than  the  rest,  pro- 
claimed peace  between  the  French,  Algonquins,  and  Mo- 
hawks; and  as  a  symbol  of  this  union,  the  orator,  while 
still  speaking,  took  a  Frenchman  and  an  Algonquin  and 
bound  their  arms  together  with  the  belt. 

The  eleventh  belt  promised  a  hospitable  board.  "We 
have  fish  and  game  in  plenty,"  said  the  orator.  "  Our 
forests  teem  with  stags,  moose,  deer,  bears,  and  beavers. 
Drive  away  the  filthy  hogs  that  defile  your  houses  and 
feed  only  on  filth." 

The  twelfth  belt  banished  all  suspicions  of  perfidy  that 
were  ascribed  to  them.     The  ambassador  rose  and  beat 

*  More  than  three  hundred  miles. 


The  Wampum  Belts.  1 79 

the  air  as  if  to  scatter  and  drive  away  the  clouds.     *'  Let 
the  sun  and  truth  shine  everywhere!"  lie  cried. 

The  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  were  addressed  to  the 
Hurons.  ''You  formerly  wished  to  make  peace:  five 
years  ago  you  had  in  your  hands  a  bagful  of  belts  and 
other  presents  to  ask  our  friendship.  What  prevented 
you  ?  Your  bag  will  fall  to  the  ground;  your  presents 
will  be  broken  and  scattered:  then  you  will  lose  heart. 
Why  do  you  wait  so  long  ?" 

The  fifteenth  present  was  of  much  deeper  interest  than 
the  rest;  and  in  spite  of  all  the  cunning  eloquence  of 
Kiotsaeton  he  would  have  given  grounds  for  the  charge 
of  duplicity  if  in  his  position  he  did  not  seek  in  some 
way  to  extenuate,  as  far  as  possible,  the  cruel  conduct  of 
his  countrymen. 

He  endeavored  to  justify  their  treatment  of  Father 
Jogues  and  Father  Bressani.  "  We  wished  to  bring  them 
both  back  to  you,  but  we  could  not  accomplish  our  de- 
sign. One  escaped  from  our  hands,  in  spite  of  us,  and 
the  other  insisted  on  being  given  up  to  the  Dutch.  We 
yielded  to  his  desire.  We  regret,  not  that  they  are  free, 
but  that  we  don't  know  what  has  become  of  them.  Per- 
haps at  the  very  moment  that  I  am  speaking  of  them 
they  have  been  swallowed  up  in  the  waves  or  have  fallen 
victims  to  some  cruel  enemy;  but  the  Mohawks  did  not 
intend  to  put  them  to  death." 

The  Iroquois  chief  did  not  know  that  Father  Jogues 
was  actually  present  at  the  meeting.  At  these  words  the 
missionary  could  not  help  smiling.  "  For  all  these  fine 
words,"  said  the  missionary  to  those  near  him,  ''the  stake 
was  prepared  and  the  executioners  were  in  waiting.  If 
God  had  not  rescued  me  from  their  hands,  I  should  have 
been  well  and  thoroughly  burned,  and  have  endured  a 
hundred  deaths  in  one ;  but  let  him  talk." 

The  seventeenth  present  had  reference  to  Honateniate, 
one  of  the  two  Iroquois  prisoners  rescued  from  the  Al- 
gonquins,  and  kept  as  hostages  by  the  Governor  till  the 


i8o  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

return  of  the  one  who  had  gone  to  carry  to  his  country- 
men the  first  words  of  peace.  His  old  mother  had  al- 
ready lost  her  eldest  son  in  the  war,  and  Father  Jogues 
had  been  given  to  her  to  replace  him.  Having  ascer- 
tained that  her  second  son  was  still  alive,  she  had  gone 
to  Kiotsaeton  before  he  set  out,  and  given  him  a  belt 
which  she  had  often  worn,  and  with  all  a  mother's  love 
had  begged  him  to  offer  it  to  the  one  who  had  saved  her 
son's  life. 

At  the  beginning  of  his  captivity  this  young  man  had 
been  oppressed  with  a  deadly  fear  and  melancholy. 
Nothing  could  divert  his  mind,  and  he  seemed  the  prey 
of  the  gloomiest  despair.  When  he  learned  that  Father 
Jogues  was  at  Three  Rivers,  he  recalled  his  virtue,  and 
his  mother's  regard  for  him,  and  endeavored  to  see  the 
missionary.  As  soon  as  he  perceived  Father  Jogues 
he  showed  the  liveliest  feelings  of  joy;  he  seemed  to 
have  found  alike  family  and  freedom.  The  missionary 
consoled  him,  and  restored  his  soul  to  peace  and  hope. 

A  Huron  who  was  not  well  disposed  to  the  French, 
witnessing  this  imposing  assemblage,  endeavored  to  fill 
the  mind  of  the  Iroquois  chief  with  distrust,  and  to  in- 
spire him  with  suspicions  as  to  the  sincerity  of  their  in- 
tentions. The  Mohawk  shrewdly  replied  :  ''  I  have  my 
face  painted  and  striped  on  one  side;  the  other  is  clean 
and  neat :  on  one  side  I  do  not  see  clearly;  on  the  other 
my  sight  is  good.  The  painted  side  is  the  Huron  side. 
I  do  not  see  a  bit  there.  The  clean  side  is  for  the  French: 
I  see  there  as  clear  as  noon."  The  Huron  slunk  away 
abashed,  without  another  word. 

Two  days  after,  the  Chevalier  de  Montmagny  made 
his  reply,  with  the  same  pomp  observed  at  the  first  session, 
and  at  the  same  time  offered  fourteen  presents.  The 
famous  Piescaret,  who  had  long  been  the  terror  of  the 
Iroquois,  spoke  for  the  Algonquins,  and  Noel  Negaba- 
mat,  the  fervent  chief  of  Sillery,  spoke  for  the  Monta- 
gnais.     The  other  nations  Kad  no  spokesmen. 


Mohawk  Duplicity.  i8i 

Three  discharges  of  cannon  proclaimed  the  end  of  the 
session.  "It  was,"  said  the  Governor,  "to  drive  away 
the  evil  air,  and  to  carry  the  news  of  peace  to  all  the 
land."  He  then  gave  a  great  banquet  to  the  ambassa- 
dors, and  several  speeches  were  made  there,  for  nothing 
makes  Indians  more  loquacious  and  eloquent  than  good- 
cheer,  and  with  them  no  important  matter  is  transacted 
without  a  banquet. 

A  mysterious  incident,  which  seemed  to  prove  the  in- 
sincerity of  the  Iroquois  intentions,  nearly  broke  off  the 
negotiations.  After  the  public  banquet  the  chief  Kiot- 
saeton  solicited  a  private  interview  with  the  Governor, 
saying  that  he  had  a  present  to  make  him.  When  he 
was  in  the  Chevalier's  presence  he  told  him  that  he  in- 
tended to  conclude  peace  only  with  the  French  and  Hu- 
rons,  but  he  did  not  wish  to  include  the  Algonquins.* 

This  unexpected  statement  displeased  the  Chevalier 
de  Montmagny,  who  refused  the  present,  and  would  not 
even  look  at  it;  he  declared  that  he  would  never  consent 
to  any  such  condition.  The  Mohawk  chief  was  dis- 
pleased at  this  refusal,  and  the  treaty  was  on  the  point 
of  being  broken  off.  Time  was  taken  for  reflection,  and 
the  Governor  in  a  second  secret  interview  found  a  mid- 
dle course.  He  explained  to  the  Iroquois  that  there  were 
two  kinds  of  Algonquins — the  Christians  who  were  like 
French,  and  unless  they  were  included  he  would  never 
make  peace;  the  others,  who  were  more  independent,  and 
whose  interests  were  not  so  closely  united  with  the 
French,  should  alone  be  excluded  from  the  peace.  This 
distinction  satisfied  the  ambassador,  and  the  Algonquins 
in  question  were  admitted  into  the  convention.  The 
Mohawks  made  this  condition  known  in  their  country, 
but  the  French  did  not  openly  avow  it. 

The  happy  results  of  this  first  assembly  spread  joy 
through   the  colony,  and  revived  liope  everywhere.     Yet 

*  Jesuit  Journal. 


1 82  Life  of  Father  Jogues, 

it  was  only  a  preliminary  of  peace.  The  Iroquois  am- 
bassadors were  to  secure  the  approval  of  the  treaty  by 
the  sachems  of  their  nation,  and  then  return  with  more 
ample  powers. 

On  the  other  hand,  Governor  de  Montmagny  wished 
the  nations  in  alliance  with  the  French,  who  were  to 
share  as  fully  as  themselves  in  the  benefits  of  the  peace, 
to  take  an  active  part  in  its  conclusion.  They  were  all 
convoked  to,  meet  in  September,  and  more  than  four 
hundred  Indians  then  gathered  at  Three  Rivers — Hurons, 
Attikamegues,  Montagnais,  Algonquins  of  the  Island, 
etc.  Four  Iroquois  ambassadors,  always  attended  by 
Couture,  who  acted  as  interpreter,  arrived  at  the  place  of 
meeting,  and  great  assemblies  were  then  held,  in  which 
all  the  Indian  allies  of  the  French  without  exception 
took  part. 

All  passed  in  order  and  perfect  harmony.  Unfortu- 
nately only  the  Mohawk  canton  of  the  Iroquois  league 
took  part  in  these  negotiations;  and  notwithstanding 
the  hopes  which  the  Mohawks  gave  of  bringing  in  the 
other  cantons,  they  not  only  did  not  bind  themselves  to 
it,  but  some  of  their  warriors  were  seen  attacking  the 
Algonquins  and  French  near  Montreal,  or  making  raids 
into  the  country  of  the  Hurons. 

But  peace  was  really  concluded  with  the  Mohawks, 
though  the  final  ratification  did  not  take  place  till 
May,  1646.  In  one  of  these  meetings  the  famous  Kiot- 
saeton,  to  show  all  his  sympathy  for  the  French,  offered 
the  missionaries  a  wampum  belt  to  console  them  for 
the   death  of  Father   de    Noiie,*  who    had   been  found 

*  Father  de  Noiie  died  February  2,  1646,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three. 
He  went  on  foot  by  the  frozen  river  from  Three  Rivers  to  Fort  Riche- 
lieu to  extend  his  ministry  to  the  little  garrison.  A  snow-storm 
completely  concealed  the  horizon,  and  he  lost  his  way.  He  was  found 
frozen  to  death  on  the  shore,  ten  miles  beyond  the  fort.  He  was  on 
his  knees,  his  hands  clasped  on  his  breast,  and  his  eyes  open,  raised  to 
heaven.     He  died  as  a  martyr  of  duty  and  charity. 


Selected  as  Envoy.  183 

frozen  to  death  in  the  month  of  February.  "Here,"  he 
said,  *'  is  something  to  warm  the  spot  wliere  the  cold  froze 
the  good  Father.  Put  this  present  in  your  bosom  to 
divert  your  thoughts,  which  might  sadden  you." 

Songs,  dances,  feasts,  followed  the  solemn  assemblies; 
and  men  who  had  been  arrayed  against  each  other  in 
such  bitter  war  were  seen  exulting  in  a  common  joy. 
They  were  seen  hunting  together,  and  in  peace,  in  the 
very  parts  where  they  had  laid  their  deadly  ambuscades. 
But  they  soon  dispersed  in  different  directions — some  to 
seek  the  remote  shores  of  Lake  Huron,  others  to  strike 
northward  to  their  hunting-grounds,  and  the  Iroquois  to 
return  to  their  castles  on  the  Mohawk  River. 

Up  to  this  time  Couture*  alone  had  borne  the  word  of 
the  French  to  the  Iroquois,  but  rather  as  interpreter 
than  as  ambassador.  The  Governor  felt  that  to  give 
greater  importance  to  this  treaty  its  conclusion  should  be 
confided  to  envoys  of  a  higlier  rank. 

He  cast  his  eyes  on  Father  Jogues,  who,  during  the 
long  negotiations  for  peace,  had  returned  to  Montreal, 
and  was  continuing  his  labors  there.  The  knowledge 
which  he  possessed  of  the  language  and  manners  of  the 
Iroquois  seemed  to  mark  him  out  in  advance  for  this  dan- 
gerous commission.  He  had  purchased  it  dearly  enough. 
Moreover,  he  was  going  to  fulfil  a  religious  as  well  as  a 
political  duty.  He  was  not  only  the  bearer  of  the  words 
of  the  French  Governor,  but  went  to  prepare  the  way  for 
the  Gospel. 

The  thought  of  confiding  this  apostleship  to  Father 
Jogues  preoccupied  the  Superior  of  the  Canada  Mission 

*  Couture  went  to  Canada  in  his  youth,  and  was  at  first  employed 
on  the  Huron  Mission,  and  appears  in  1640  in  the  list  of  domih. 
In  the  catalogue  of  employments  he  is  sometimes  put  down  as  joiner, 
sometimes  ad  inulta,  showing  that  he  was  ready  in  many  capacities. 
He  negotiated  the  peace  which  put  an  end  to  his  captivity.  Being  re- 
leased from  his  engagement  as  a  donn^,  he  married,  and  was  the  head 
of  a  large  family.     He  died  in  1702,  at  the  age  of  ninety-four. 


184  ^^f^  of  Father  Jogties. 

from  the  moment  that  he  saw  the  project  of  peace  with 
the  Iroquois  take  a  favorable  turn.  The  hardships  and 
danger  attending  the  enterprise  required  that  it  should 
be  treated  with  the  utmost  prudence  and  maturity.  We 
see  it  the  topic  of  serious  consultation  in  the  month  of 
January,  1646,  between  Father  Jerome  Lalemant,  Supe- 
rior of  the  Mission,  and  Fathers  Vimont,  De  Quen,  d'Eu- 
demare,  and  Peter  Pijart,  who  were  then  in  Quebec.  We 
find  the  result  entered  in  these  terms  in  the  Register  of 
the  Superior  in  that  city:  "  Omnium  consensu  approbata 
profectio" — "All  unanimously  approved  the  departure." 
When  the  peace  had  become  a  realit}^  Father  Lalemant 
imparted  to  Father  Jogues  the  wish  to  confide  the  Mis- 
sion to  him.  We  do  not  know  in  what  terms  the  Superior 
asked  Father  Jogues  to  make  this  act  of  heroic  devoted- 
ness;  but  we  are  so  happy  as  to  possess  the  reply  of  the 
servant  of  God — as  worthy  of  his  humility  as  of  his  mag- 
nanimity. 

"Montreal,  April,  1646. 

"Reverend  Father  :  The  letter  which  it  has  pleased 
your  Reverence  to  write  found  me  in  my  retreat  and  in 
the  exercises  which  I  had  begun,  there  being  no  canoe  to 
carry  our  letters.  I  chose  this  time,  because  the  Indians, 
being  at  the  chase,  allow  us  to  enjoy  a  greater  silence. 

"Would  you  believe  that,  on  opening  your  letter,  my 
heart  was  at  first  seized  with  a  kind  of  fear  that  what  I 
desire,  and  what  my  soul  should  earnestly  desire,  might 
not  arrive.  Poor  nature,  mindful  of  the  past,  trembled; 
but  our  Lord,  by  His  goodness,  has  given,  and  will  again 
restore  it  calm. 

"Yes,  Father,  I  will  all  that  our  Lord  wills,  and  I  will 
it  at  the  peril  of  a  thousand  lives.  Oh  !  how  I  should 
regret  to  lose  so  glorious  an  occasion,  when  it  may  de- 
pend only  on  me  that  some  souls  be  saved  !  I  hope  that 
His  goodness,  which  has  not  abandoned  me  in  the  hour 
of  trial,  will  aid  me  still.  He  and  I  are  able  to  trample 
pown  every  difficulty  that  can  oppose  the  project. 


Letter  from  Montreal.  185 

''It  is  much  to  be  ''  in  medio  nationis  prav(Z^'  without  Mass, 
without  Altar,  without  Confession,  without  Sacraments; 
but  His  holy  will  and  Divine  Providence  so  will  it. 

"He  who,  by  His  holy  grace,  preserved  us  without 
these  helps  for  eighteen  or  twenty  months,  will  not  refuse 
us  the  same  favor,  for  we  do  not  thrust  ourselves  into 
this  work,  but  undertake  this  voyage  solely  to  please 
Him,  without  consulting  all  the  repugnances  of  nature. 

"As  to  all  these  comings  and  goings  of  the  Iroquois, 
what  I  can  say  is,  that  I  see  very  few  from  the  first  two 
towns;  yet  it  is  with  them  chiefly  that  we  are  concerned, 
as  the  last  killed  were  of  these  villages.  Scarcely  any 
have  come,  except  from  the  last  village,  where  Couture 
was;  and  they  profess,  at  least  in  words,  not  to  come  as 
warriors  in  these  parts.  It  is  not,  however,  with  these 
last  that  we  must  dwell,  but  with  those  whom  we  do  not 
see. 

"  I  thank  you  affectionately  for  sending  me  your  Huron 
principles.  Send  the  rest  when  you  please.  What  I  need 
is  chiefly  prayers,  formularies  for  confession,  et  cjusdem 
generis.  I  will  thereby  become  your  debtor,  as  I  am  al- 
ready on  so  many  grounds.  I  owe  your  Reverence  the 
account  of  the  '  Capture  and  Death  of  good  Rene  Goupil,' 
which  I  should  have  sent  already.  If  the  bearer  of  this 
give  me  time,  I  will  send  it  by  him. 

"  If  God  wills  that  I  go  to  the  Iroquois,  my  companion 
must  be  virtuous,  docile,  courageous,  and  willing  to  suffer 
something  for  God.  It  would  be  well  for  him  to  know 
how  to  make  canoes,  so  that  we  can  go  and  return  with- 
out calling  on  the  Indians." 

Father  Lalemant  had  not  presumed  too  much  on  the 
courage  of  Father  Jogues.  He  wrote  on  this  point  in 
the  Relation  of  1645:  "He  was  ready  before  the  propo- 
sition was  made  to  him.  He  who  had  borne  the  weight 
of  the  war  was  not  a  man  to  recoil  in  peace.  He  was 
very  glad  to  test  their  friendship  after  experiencing  the 


1 86  Life  of  FatJier  Jogues. 

rage  of  their  hatred.  He  was  not  ignorant  of  the  incon- 
stancy of  these  savages  or  of  the  difficulty  of  the  roads. 
He  saw  the  dangers  into  which  he  plunged;  but  he  who 
runs  no  risk  for  God  will  never  deal  wholesale  in  the  riches 
of  heaven." 

The  Iroquois  ambassadors  were  pleased  with  the  selec- 
tion; and  the  French  Governor,  heartily  applauding  it, 
gave  him  an  official  character,  associating  with  Father 
Jogues  the  lay-negotiator  whom  he  had  chosen,  Mr.  John 
Bourdon,  a  good  and  devoted  man,  the  engineer  of  the 
colony.* 

On  seeing  Father  Jogues  embark,  the  Christian  Algon- 
quins  expressed  their  fears,  and  advised  the  missionary 
not  to  speak  of  the  Faith  in  his  first  intercourse.  "There 
is  nothing,"  said  they,  "  more  repulsive  at  first  than  this 
doctrine,  which  seems  to  exterminate  all  that  men  hold 
dearest,  and  as  your  long  robe  preaches  as  much  as  your 
lips,  it  will  be  more  prudent  to  travel  in  a  shorter  habit." 

This  advice,  dictated  by  prudence,  was  followed.  It 
was  right  to  treat  the  sick  as  sick,  and  to  humor  the  sus- 
ceptibilities of  prejudiced  and  irritable  people.  After 
the  example  of  the  Apostle,  the  evangelical  laborer  must 
be  ready  to  bend  to  circumstances,  and  to  "become  all 
things  to  all  men,"  that  he  may  gain  them  all  to  Christ. 

"When  I  speak  of  an  Iroquois  mission,"  said  Father 
Jerome  Lalemant,  announcing  in  France  in  the  Relation 
of  1646  the  departure  of  Father  Jogues,  "it  seems  to  me 
that  I  am  talking  of  some  dream;  and  yet  it  is  a  reality. 
With  good  reason  we  have  given  it  the  name  of  *  Mission 
of  the  Martyrs; '  for,  besides  the  cruelty  which  these  sav- 
ages have  already  inflicted  on  some  persons  devoted  to 
the  salvation  of  souls,  besides  the  pains  and   hardships 


*  John  Bourdon  had  been  in  Canada  since  1634,  and  enjoyed  a  high 
repute  for  probity  and  intelligence.  After  being  engineer,  he  became 
Attorney-General  of  New  France.  He  took  an  active  part  in  pushing 
discoveries  on  the  coast  of  Labrador  and  in  Esquimaux  Bay. 


He  Sets  Out.  187 

which  those  appointed  for  this  mission  must  encounter, 
we  can  say  in  truth,  that  it  has  aheady  been  ensanguined 
with  the  blood  of  a  martyr,  inasmuch  as  the  Frenchman 
(Rene  Goupil)  who  was  killed  at  the  feet  of  Father 
Jogues  lost  his  life  for  having  formed  the  sign  of  our 
Faith  on  some  little  Iroquois  children.  If  we  are  per- 
mitted to  conjecture  in  matters  that  seem  highly  proba- 
ble, we  may  believe  that  the  designs  we  have  formed 
against  the  empire  of  Satan  will  not  bear  fruit  till  they 
are  irrigated  with  the  blood  of  some  other  martyrs." 

The  whole  colony  was  piously  affected  at  the  moment 
when  this  grave  step  was  taken,  in  the  result  of  which 
religion  and  the  prosperity  of  New  France  were  so  deeply 
interested.  Public  prayers  were  immediately  begun  in 
all  the  churches  to  assure  its  success. 

Father  Jogues  and  Mr.  Bourdon  set  out  from  Three 
Rivers  on  the  i6th  of  May,  with  four  Mohawk  deputies 
who  were  to  be  their  guides  and  introduce  them  to  the 
sachems.  Two  Algonquins  appointed  by  their  nation 
to  present  to  the  Iroquois  presents  in  the  name  of  the 
tribe  to  confirm  the  peace  went  also. 

Notwithstanding  the  heat,  the  voyage  up  the  river  of  the 
Iroquois  through  Lake  Champlain  and  Lake  George  was 
accomplished  happily.  It  was  while  crossing  this  last  lake 
on  the  30th  of  May,  the  feast  of  Corpus  Christi,  that  Father 
Jogues  gave  it  the  name  of  Lac  Saint- Sacrement"^  (Lake 
of  the  Blessed  Sacrament),  which  was  retained  by  the 
French  while  they  ruled  Canada.     The  Iroquois  called 


*Spofford  in  his  Gazetteer,  and  other  early  American  writers,  ignorant 
of  the  circumstances  attending  the  giving  of  the  name,  state  that  it  was 
given  on  account  of  the  purity  of  the  water,  confounding  Baptism 
with  the  Holy  Eucharist,  Yet  this  explanation  was  for  years  the  only 
one  given  in  English  and  American  works.  The  present  name,  Lake 
George,  due  to  some  ambitious  individual,  or  flatterer  of  the  English 
king,  was  given  not  long  before  the  English  conquest  of  Canada. 
Mr.  John  G.  Shea  and  Mr.  Francis  Parkman  have  proposed  that  ft  be 
called  *' Lake  Jogues." 


1 88  L'^f^  of  Father  Jogiies. 

this  sheet  of  water  Andiatarocte  (Where  the  Lake  closes). 

After  reaching  the  extremity  of  this  lake  the  travel- 
lers had  to  make  the  hardest  part  of  their  journe}'',  and 
it  had  to  be  made  on  foot.  With  so  small  a  party,  and 
bearing  presents  which  constituted  a  considerable  weight, 
they  had  to  look  forward  to  a  task  severe  enough  to  ex- 
haust the  stoutest  men.  The  Algonquins  were  the  first 
to  be  discouraged.  They  decided  to  leave  behind  a 
part  of  the  twenty-four  elk-skins  wdiich  they  were  ap- 
pointed to  carry,  and  they  left  them  on  the  shore  of  the 
lake,  where  they  carefully  concealed  them,  according  to 
Indian  custom.  As  for  Father  Jogues,  he  was,  according 
to  Mr.  Bourdon,  indefatigable.  However,  after  two 
days'  march  the  Iroquois  guides  abandoned  the  idea  of 
going  directly  to  the  Mohawk  town.  Seeing  their  com- 
panions exhausted  they  began  to  fear  that  they  would  be 
reproached  with  not  having  sufficiently  considered  the 
strength  of  their  new  allies.  Accordingly,  striking  west- 
ward, the}^  took  up  their  march  for  a  place  called  Ossa- 
rague  or  Beaver  Dam,  a  favorite  resort  of  the  Mohawks, 
from  its  abounding  in  fish.  There  they  hoped  to  find 
some  aid  in  carrying  their  baggage;  and  they  were  not 
disappointed. 

This  swerving  from  their  direct  route,  which  seemed 
merely  fortuitous,  was  really  a  providential  protection  of 
His  elect  by  our  Lord.  At  this  spot  Father  Jogues  found 
Teresa,  the  young  Christian  Huron  girl  who  had  been 
taken  at  the  same  time  as  himself,  and  who  had  since 
remained  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the  Mohawks.  The 
presence  of  the  missionary  filled  her  with  joy.  She  ap- 
proached the  tribunal  of  penance,  and  the  words  of  the 
Father  quickened  her  sentiments  of  faith  and  piety.  Her 
confidence  revived  when  she  learned  all  that  had  been 
done  at  Quebec  for  her  deliverance.  "Courage!"  said 
the  holy  priest  to  her;  "you  shall  be  happy  in  heaven  if 
you  persevere." 

Her  virtue  had  not  diminished  during  her  two  years' 


Reach  the  Mohawk  Castle.  1 89 

captivity.  The  lessons  of  her  good  teachers,  the  nuns, 
had  borne  fruit,  and  far  from  being  ashamed  of  her  bap- 
tism, she  gloried  in  it.  As  she  had  been  deprived  of  her 
rosary,  she  recited  the  prayers  every  day  on  her  fingers, 
or  marked  the  decades  with  pebbles.  Slie  sometimes 
said  to  her  uncle,  the  wise  and  pious  Joseph  Teondechoren, 
who  was  a  captive  with  her  for  some  months,  but  suc- 
ceeded in  escaping,  **'  If  my  mothers  saw  me  with  these 
wicked  Mohawks  who  know  not  God,  they  would  feel 
great  pity  for  me."  But  if  the  Ursulines  did  not  see 
their  pupil,  they  did  not  forget  her;  their  affection  in- 
creased with  her  dangers,  and  was  attested  not  only  by 
their  prayers,  but  by  their  exertions  in  her  behalf. 

On  the  4th  of  June  our  travellers  descended  the  Hud- 
son River  and  made  a  short  stay  at  the  Dutch  settlement 
of  Rensselaerswyck,  where  the  commandant  of  Fort  Or- 
ange received  them  with  great  courtesy.  The  Chevalier 
de  Montmagny  had  given  Father  Jogues  letters  saluting 
and  thanking  the  Dutch  Governor,  and  the  servant  of 
God  was  only  too  happy  to  be  able  to  express  in  person 
his  gratitude  to  those  who  had  saved  his  life.  The  am- 
bassadors after  two  days'  rest*  continued  their  journey, 
accompanied  by  several  Iroquois  who  happened  to  be 
at  the  settlement,  and  who  divided  the  baggage  among 
them.  At  last  on  the  evening  of  the  next  day,  the  little 
caravan  entered  the  Iroquois  town  of  Oneougioure,  for- 
merly Osserion,  to  which  Father  Jogues  gave  the  name 
of  the  Holy  Trinity.  Two  whole  days  were  scarcely 
enougli  to  gratify  the  curiosity  of  the  people  of  the 
country.  They  flocked  from  all  parts  to  see  the  deputies. 
Those  who  had  formerly  persecuted  and  tortured  the 
missionary,  pretended  to  have  lost  all  recollection  of  it, 
and  those  who  could  not  resist  a  feeling  of  compassion 
at  the  sight  of  his  tortures  and  resignation  showed  their 

*The  Relation  of  1646  says  the   i6th,  but   the  context  enables  the 
reader  to  correct  this  typographical  error. 


iQO  ^ife  of  Father  Jogues. 

pleasure  and  happiness,  on  seeing  him  again  under  such 
different  conditions,  and  invested  with  so  honorable  a 
title. 

On  the  Toth  of  June  a  general  assembly  of  the  sachems 
and  chiefs  of  the  country  was  held  to  receive  the  am- 
bassadors. It  was  brilliant  and  solemn.  The  presents, 
arranged  in  Indian  style  before  the  crowd  of  spectators, 
attested  the  magnificence  of  the  King  of  France,  and  his 
pacific  intentions. 

Father  Jogues,  who  was  appointed  to  bear  the  word  of 
the  Governor  and  of  the  French,  was  able  to  adapt  him- 
self in  his  language  and  manner  to  the  ideas  of  this 
nation.  Amid  a  deep  silence  he  raised  his  voice,  and  after 
expressing  the  universal  joy  excited  in  the  colony  by  the 
sight  of  the  Iroquois  deputies,  and  the  news  of  the  peace 
concluded  between  them,  the  French,  Hurons,  and  Algon- 
quins,  he  exclaimed,  "  The  council-fire  is  kindled  at  Three 
Rivers.  It  shall  never  be  extinguished.  The  French 
shall  be  your  brethren  :  your  enemies  shall  be  their  ene- 
mies, and  their  arm  shall  be  outstretched  to  defend  you. 
We  were  glad  when  we  heard  that  you  had  flung  far  from 
you  the  scalps  of  the  Algonquins  and  Montagnais  whom 
the  Sokokis  massacred  last  year.*     Here  are  five  thou- 

*  The  Sokokis  had  taken  up  arms  against  the  Algonquins,  and  had 
penetrated  even  to  Quebec,  scalping  some  Indians  of  that  nation  un- 
der its  very  walls  When  they  heard  of  the  steps  taken  towards  a  gen- 
eral peace,  they  wished  to  prevent  any  between  the  Iroquois  and  the 
Algonquins.  Brandishing  their  bloody  trophies,  they  sent  ambassa- 
dors to  the  Iroquois,  A  council  was  held,  and  the  Sokoki  orator  said, 
"  I  have  long  heard  you  say  that  the  Algonquins  were  your  irrecon- 
cilable enemies,  and  that  you  hated  them  even  beyond  the  grave  ;  so 
that  if  you  could  meet  them  in  the  next  world  your  war  would  be 
eternal.  We  are  your  allies  ;  we  share  your  feelings  and  your  inter- 
est. Here  are  scalps  of  Algonquins  whom  we  massacred:  it  is  a  present 
that  must  gladden  your  heart.  At  the  same  time  I  give  you  this  belt, 
which  will  serve  as  a  chain  to  bind  us  closely  together;"  and  the 
Sokoki  laid  a  great  wampum  belt  on  the  ground. 

The  Iroquois  were  indignant  at  this  proposal.     One  of  the  chiefs 


Ptcblic  Reception.  191 

sand  beads  of  wampum  to  break  the  fetters  of  the  young 
Frenchman  who  is  still  among  you,  and  another  belt  of 
five  thousand  for  Teresa,  that  they  may  both  be  set  at 
liberty  and  may  soon  arrive  at  Quebec." 

This  liarangue  was  listened  to  with  the  deepest  atten- 
tion and  the  presents  were  gratefully  received.  The 
Wolf  clan,  the  most  powerful  in  the  nation,  which  had 
shown  Father  Jogues  kindness  and  respect  during  his 
captivity,  received  a  special  present. 

The  missionary  ambassador  then  spoke  for  the  Algon- 
quins,  who  had  no  acquaintance  with  the  Mohawdc  lan- 
o-uage.  They  were,  moreover,  timid,  and  somewhat 
ashamed,  because  they  had  left  part  of  their  presents 
behind.  They  had  only  ten  elk-skins.  Father  Jogues 
excused  them  on  account  of  a  wound  received  by  one  of 
their  young  men,  as  well  as  of  the  weight  of  the  burden 
and  the  difficulty  of  the  wa}^  The  assembly  seemed  sat- 
isfied, and  replied  to  the  Algonquins  by  two  presents; 
it  also  made  two  to  the  Hurons. 

The  reply  to  Onontio  and  the  French,  which  was  the 
very  life  of  this  negotiation,  was  given  with  much  pomp 
and  solemnity.  They  lavished  every  mark  of  the  sin- 
cerest  friendship.  The  French  prisoner  was  released; 
and  the  Indians  hung  on  him  a  wampum  belt  of  two 
thousand  beads.  ^'  Here,"  said  they,  "  is  the  bond  which 
retained  him.  Take  the  prisoner  and  his  chain,  and  do 
Onontio's  pleasure  towards   him."      As  to  Teresa,  who 

rejecting  the  presents,  replied:  "  We  are  surprised  at  your  boldness 
and  temerity.  You  cast  shame  in  our  face.  We  consider  you  as 
treacherous  men.  Onontio,  with  whom  we  have  treated  of  peace,  is  not 
a  child.  If  we  looked  upon  you  with  favor,  he  would  have  reason  to 
say,  '  The  Mohawks  have  not  killed  our  allies,  but  their  axe  has.  I 
thought  I  was  treating  with  real  men;  I  have  treated  only  with  im- 
postors.' This  is  not  all.  The  Algonquins,  learning  that  the  scalps 
of  their  brethren  hang  in  our  cabins,  would  scalp  all  the  people  in 
their  country.  This  is  the  fruit  of  your  boldness.  Withdraw,  then, 
and  hide  your  scalps.  As  we  have  only  one  heart,  we  wish  to  have 
only  one  tongue." 


ig2  Life  of  FatJier  Jogties. 

was  married,  they  replied  that  she  should  be  set  free  in 
the  village  where  she  lived.  "  Here  is  a  belt  of  fifteen 
hundred  beads,"  they  added,  "to  guarantee  our  words." 

The  Wolf  clan  made  its  special  present ;  tliirty-six 
fathoms  of  wampum  assured  the  French  that  they 
should  always  have  an  abode  among  them;  and  address- 
ing Father  Jogues,  they  said,  **  You  shall  always  have 
among  us  a  mat  to  rest  on  and  a  fire  to  warm  you." 

Father  Jogues  had  perceived  in  the  crowd  some  Iro- 
quois of  the  other  cantons,  and  among  others,  Ononda- 
gas.  He  made  them  publicly  a  present  of  a  thousand 
beads  of  wampum.  "We  wish,"  he  said  to  the  chief, 
"to  salute  you  in  your  own  country;  take  this  present 
to  smooth  the  way,  and  that  no  one  may  be  astonished 
at  our  visit.  Moreover,  we  have  three  paths  to  reach 
you — one  by  the  Mohawk,  the  other  by  the  great  lake 
which  you  call  Ontario,*  the  third  by  the  Huron  coun- 
try." 

These  words  seemed  to  surprise  the  Mohawks.  "  It  is 
better,"  said  one  of  the  sachems  to  him,  "  that  you  take 
the  route  Onontio  has  traced.  The  others  are  too  dan- 
gerous ;  you  would  find  only  warriors — men  with  painted 
faces,  always  brandishing  the  hatchet  and  axe  ;  they 
desire  only  to  slay.  There  is  no  road  surer  than  that 
which  leads  here." 

The  orator,  who  had  merely  wished  to  make  the  Mo- 
hawks feel  that  the  French  could  be  independent  of 
them  if  they  chose  to  open  intercourse  with  the  other 
cantons,  continued  his  speech  and  offered  his  present. 
The  Onondagas  accepted  it,  promising  to  convey  it  to 
the  sachems  and  chiefs  of  their  nation. 

The  missionary  had  not  amid  these  political  negotia- 
tions lost  sight  of  the  object  of  his  desire  and  the  secret 
aim  of  his  coming.     He  administered  the  sacraments  to 

*  Ontario  means  "  beautiful  lake."  This  sheet  of  water  was  called 
also  by  the  French  Lac  Saint-Louis,  Lac  Frontenac,  Lac  des  Iroquois, 
Lake  Cataracoui.      It  also  bore  tlie  name  of  Lake  Skanadario. 


His  RettiVfi.  193 

several  Christian  captives,  Huron  and  Algonquin,  and 
taught  them  to  bear  their  cross  with  merit.  He  visited 
and  relieved  the  sick,  and  opened  heaven  to  several 
dying  children. 

When  the  official  meetings  Avere  over,  the  Mohawks 
advised  Father  Jogues  not  to  prolong  his  stay  among 
them.  They  hastened  his  departure,  "  because,"  they 
said,  "a  band  of  Iroquois  from  the  upper  country  had 
started  to  lay  ambuscades  for  the  Hurons  who  were 
going  down  to  the  French  posts.  They  were  to  follow 
the  St.  Lawrence  and  ascend  the  river  of  the  Iroquois. 
We  do  not  believe  that  they  will  harm  you  if  they  meet 
you,  but  we  feel  uneasy  about  your  two  Algonquin  com- 
panions." 

The  Father  expressed  his  astonishment  :  "  How  !  do 
you  permit  them  to  make  war  on  your  own  land  ?"  "  We 
have  notified  them,"  was  the  reply.  ''What  then?" 
added  tlie  French  envoy.  "  Do  they  treat  your  words 
with  contempt?  Do  you  not  see  that  all  the  mischief 
they  do  will  be  laid  to  your  charge?"  They  seemed  to 
open  their  eyes  to  the  unreasonableness  of  their  conduct, 
and  promised  to  oppose,  as  the  best  remedy,  everything 
that  could  impair  their  loyalty. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  the  commissioners  having  dis- 
charged their  duties,  took  the  advice  of  the  Mohawks, 
and  prepared  to  return.  They  left  the  town  of  the 
Trinity  on  the  i6th  of  June,  and  marched  to  Lac  Saint- 
Sacrement.  There  they  made  bark  canoes,  and  on  the 
29th— the  Feast  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul— they  landed 
at  Three  Rivers,  and  on  the  3d  of  July  reached  Quebec. 


* 


*  A  contemporary  manuscript,  the  Journal  of  the  Superior  of  the 
Jesuits  at  Quebec,  informs  us  that  Father  Jogues  wrote  a  detailed  ac- 
count of  this  embassy.  This  document  was  lost,  with  no  little  of  the 
Jesuit  archives,  after  the  English  Government  took  possession  of 
them,  when  the  last  member  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  died  in  Canada 
in  1800. 


194  Life  of  Father  Jogues, 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

Third  Visit  of  Father  Jogues  to  the  Mohawks — Ill-treatment — 
Division  of  Opinion  in  the  Tribe — Father  Jogues  is  put  to 
Death — Punishment  of  his  Murderer. 

'HE  success  of  his  visit  inspired  Father  Jogues  with 
fresh  ardor.  To  continue  a  work  which  opened 
under  such  consoling  auspices,  he  thought  of  go- 
ing to  spend  the  winter  among  the  Iroquois.  In  the 
candid  desires  of  his  heart,  he  alreadj^  beheld  them  list- 
ening to  his  words,  submitting  to  the  teachings  of  his 
Divine  Master,  embracing  the  Faith,  and  becoming  one 
of  its  glorious  triumphs  after  having  been  its  most  in- 
superable barrier.  He  thanked  God  for  having  chosen 
him  to  be  the  instrument  of  such  a  merciful  Providence 
towards  them,  and  in  this  sweet  hope  he  rejoiced  in 
anticipation  of  the  day  when  he  should  present  to  God, 
as  his  beloved  children,  those  who  had  hitherto  been 
his  enemies  and  torturers. 

But  always  impenetrable  in  His  designs,  the  Almighty 
was  about  to  demand  of  him  a  higher  testimony  than  is 
borne  by  words:  He  wished  the  last  drop  of  tliat  gene- 
rous blood  which  had  already  flowed  for  His  glory. 
Having  entered  the  way  of  the  cross,  the  minister  of  Christ 
was  not  to  tread  any  other,  and  his  noble  soul  will  never 
falter.  If  he  had  not,  like  some  of  his  brethren,  the  con- 
solation of  seeing  the  fruit  of  his  exertions,  he  will  none 
the  less  bless  the  name  of  Him  for  whose  sake  he  labor- 
ed. He  knew  that  he  who  sows  and  he  who  waters  may 
merit  as  much  as  he  who  gathers  in  the  harvest. 

The    prospect  of    the  missionary's  again  visiting  the 


His  Third  Visit  to  the  Mohawks.         195 

Mohawk  country  seemed  improbable.  Yet  it  was  dis- 
cussed on  the  9tli  of  July  in  a  consultation  held  by  Father 
Lalemant  with  Fathers  Le  Jeune  and  Vimont,  at  which 
Father  Jogues  was  present,  as  being  the  one  best  versed 
in  the  whole  matter.  The  success  of  the  attempt 
seemed  so  doubtful  that  the  project  of  wintering  there 
was  suspended,  "  unless  some  favorable  opportunity 
offers."  Meanwhile  Father  Jogues  was  sent  back  to 
Montreal  to  resume  his  services  among  the  Indians. 

Soon  after  affairs  took  a  favorable  turn,  although  we 
do  not  know  how  or  why.  The  fact  is  stated  in  the 
Journal  of  the  Superior  at  Quebec,  under  the  date  of 
July  21.  Father  Lalemant  summoned  Fathers  Le  Jeune, 
Vimont,  and  De  Quen  to  an  important  consultation,  as 
he  calls  it,  and  the  decision  arrived  at  is  expressed  in 
these  simple  words:  "  Father  Jogues'  wintering  among 
the  Iroquois  decided  upon."  Yet  the  resolution  was  not 
immediately  carried  out.  There  were  preparations  to 
be  made  and  companions  to  be  selected. 

Father  Jogues  did  not  go  down  to  Quebec  till  the 
month  of  August,  and  it  was  not  till  the  27th  of  Septem- 
ber that  he  took  up  his  route  for  the  Iroquois.  He  was 
accompanied  by  a  young  Frenchman,  John  De  La  Lande, 
and  by  some  Hurons,  who  were  to  take  charge  of  his 
canoe  and  baggage,  and  who  availed  themselves  of  this 
opportunity  to  visit  some  of  their  kindred  in  captivity. 
But  soon  alarmed  at  the  rashness  of  this  undertaking, 
or  disheartened  by  the  dangers  of  navigation  and  the 
hardships  of  the  roads,  these  Hurons,  all  except  one, 
abandoned  the  missionary  on  the  way.  As  for  him,  he 
saw  only  a  duty  to  fulfil,  and  he  advanced  full  of  con- 
fidence. Independently  of  the  religious  object  proposed, 
he  had  also  the  mission  to  maintain  the  peace  so  solemnly 
concluded,  and  he  promised  himself  that  he  would  profit 
by  it  to  cultivate  the  seed  which  he  had  already  sown 
on  that  ungrateful  soil. 

Among  the  Mohawks  the  feeling  towards  him  was  no 


196  Life  of  Fathe7^  Jogiies. 

longer  the  same,  and  a  great  hostile  excitement  pre- 
vailed in  their  minds.  A  violent  animosity,  born  of  dis- 
trust, had  succeeded  to  their  peaceful  intentions.  The 
cause  was  this  : 

When  he  left  the  Mohawk  country  at  the  close  of  the 
embassy,  Father  Jogues,  who  already  nourished  the  idea 
and  desire  of  returning,  left  a  small  box  with  his  host, 
containing  his  scanty  travelling  outfit  and  some  religious 
articles.  He  left  it  as  a  token  that  he  would  return,  and 
to  avoid  the  trouble  of  carrying  it  back  and  forth.  This 
deposit  seemed  mysterious  to  several  of  these  ignorant 
and  suspicious  minds.  They  did  not  conceal  their  ap- 
prehensions. They  beheld  in  it  a  secret  charm,  which 
was  to  work  their  ruin  and  misfortune  for  the  whole 
country. 

Perceiving  this  provoking  prejudice,  the  servant  of 
God  had  endeavored  to  dispel  them  by  spreading  before 
them  the  articles  which  excited  their  fears.  He  opened 
his  trunk  and  exposed  all  its  contents  to  the  crowd;  but 
in  minds  once  misled  truth  finds  its  way  with  more  dif- 
ficulty than  falsehood. 

At  first  they  seemed  to  believe  hin>,  yet  no  sooner  had 
he  departed  than  their  fears  increased  and  became  con- 
firmed. The  most  dreaded  scourges  seemed  to  pour 
upon  the  country.  First  came  a  contagious  disease,  which 
swept  off  many  victims;  and  then  appeared  swarms  of 
worms,  which  destroyed  almost  the  whole  harvest.  It 
did  not  require  all  this  to  give  calumny  a  triumph,  and 
to  excite  men's  minds  to  the  highest  degree.  The  trunk, 
the  supposed  instrument  of  witchcraft,  was  thrown  into 
the  river,  no  one  venturing  to  open  it  ;  and  for  a  month 
before  the  missionary's  arrival  the  enemies  of  the  French 
and  of  Christianity  had  succeeded  in  spreading  every- 
where hatred  and  vengeance  against  the  man  who  was 
looked  upon  as  the  author  of  all  the  woes. 

Unaware  of  this  hostile  feeling,  Father  Jogues  had 
presentiments  of  evil  during  his  journey,  and  did    not 


His  Last  Letter.  197 

dissemble  the  danger  of  his  mission.  Before  setting  out, 
he  wrote  to  a  Jesuit  in  France,  to  whom  he  confided  the 
secrets  of  his  heart,  and  imparted  his  apprehensions  to 
him.  This  precious  monument  of  his  zeal  for  God's 
glory  and  his  love  for  the  cross  proves  that  he  did  not 
conceal  from  himself  any  of  the  risks  which  he  was  about 
to  run,  and  that  he  exposed  himself  to  them  with  a  cool 
intrepidity  equalled  only  by  his  obedience  and  self-abne- 
gation. 

"  Alas,  my  dear  Father,  when  shall  I  begin  to  love  and 
serve  Him  whose  love  for  us  had  no  beginning?  When 
shall  I  begin  to  give  myself  entirely  to  Him,  who  has 
given  Himself  unreservedly  to  me  ?  Although  I  am  very 
miserable,  a©^  have  so  misused  the  graces  our  Lord  has 
done  me  in  this  country,  I  do  not  despair,  as  He  takes 
care  to  render  me  better  by  giving  me  new  occasions  to 
die  to  self,  and  unite  myself  inseparably  to  Him. 

''  The  Iroquois  have  come  to  make  some  presents  to 
our  Governor  to  ransom  some  prisoners  he  held,  and  to 
treat  of  peace  with  him  in  the  name  of  the  whole  coun- 
try. It  has  been  concluded,  to  the  great  joy  of  the 
French.     It  will  last  as  long  as  pleases  the  Almighty. 

"  To  maintain  it,  and  see  what  can  be  done  for  the 
instruction  of  these  tribes,  it  is  here  deemed  expedient 
to  send  some  Father.  I  have  reason  to  think  I  shall  be 
sent,  having  some  knowledge  of  the  language  and  coun- 
try. You  see  what  need  I  have  of  the  powerful  aid  of 
prayers,  being  amidst  these  savages.  I  will  have  to 
remain  among  them,  almost  without  liberty  to  pray, 
without  Mass,  without  Sacraments,  and  be  responsible 
for  every  accident  among  the  Iroquois,  French,  Algon- 
quins,  and  others.  But  what  do  I  say  ?  My  hope  is  in 
God,  who  needs  not  us  to  accomplish  His  designs.  We 
must  endeavor  to  be  faithful  to  Him,  and  not  spoil  His 
work  by  our  shortcomings.  I  trust  you  will  obtain  me 
this  favor  of  our  Lord,  that,  having  led  so  wretched  a 
life  till  now,  I  may  at  last  begin  to  serve  Him  better^ 


iqS  Life  of  Father  Jogiies. 

*'  My  heart  tells  me  that  if  I  have  the  happiness  of 
being  employed  in  this  mission,  Ibo  et  non  redibo;  but  I 
shall  be  happy  if  our  Lord  will  complete  the  sacrifice 
where  He  has  begun  it,  and  make  the  little  blood  I  have 
shed  in  that  land  the  earnest  of  what  I  would  give  from 
every  vein  of  my  body  and  my  heart. 

"In  a  word,  this  people  is  '  a  bloody  spouse  to  me,' — 
*  in  my  blood  have  I  espoused  it  to  me  '  (Exod.  iv.  25). 
May  our  good  Master,  who  has  purchased  them  in  His 
blood,  open  to  them  the  door  of  His  Gospel,  as  well  as 
to  the  four  allied  nations  near  them. 

"  Adieu,  dear  Father ;  pray  Him  to  unite  me  insepa- 
rably to  Him.  Isaac  Jogues,  S.  J." 

These  well-founded  presentiments,  and  the  desertion 
of  his  companions  almost  at  the  very  outset  of  the  voy- 
age, ought  to  have  disheartened  him  completely.  Far 
from  it.  The  thought  and  sight  of  death  will  not  make 
him  falter  ;  he  will  march  on  as  though  he  were  going  to 
fulfil  his  most  ardent  desires. 

Meanwhile  the  public  calamities  had  acted  violently 
on  this  people.  They  excited  to  madness  and  fury  these 
fierce  and  credulous  savages.  In  natural  events  they 
beheld  only  effects  of  duplicity  and  ill-will,  and  they  for- 
got their  recent  promises  of  friendship.  The  agitation 
kept  increasing.  The  most  sensible  and  prudent  wished 
the  peace  maintained,  but  the  turbulent  and  irascible 
prevailed  ;  and  it  was  decided  to  renew  the  war  against 
the  French,  the  Hurons,  and  the  Algonquins,  who  were 
regarded  as  treacherous  men,  plotting  the  ruin  of  the 
Iroquois. 

A  war-party  immediately  took  the  field,  aiming  at 
Montreal,  and  surprised  two  Frenchmen  in  the  vicinity 
of  that  city.  Another  band  marched  against  Fort  Riche- 
lieu, and  came  upon  Father  Jogues  two  days'  march  from 
their  village.  They  fell  upon  the  missionary  and  his  com- 
panion, stripped  them  of  their  garments,  loaded  them 


Treated  as  an  E^ierny.  1 99 

with  insults,  and  led  them  off  as  prisoners.  On  the  19th 
of  October,  1646,  these  warriors  made  their  triumphal 
entry  into  the  town  where  the  servant  of  God  had  already- 
passed  a  captivity  of  thirteen  months.* 

From  all  sides  threats  of  death  sounded  in  their  ears. 
Blows  from  fists  and  clubs  soon  accompanied  these  gloomy 
heralds  of  their  execution,  ''You  shall  die  to-morrow," 
they  were  told;  "do  not  fear — you  shall  not  be  burned; 
your  heads  shall  fall  beneath  our  tomahawks,  and  we 
will  set  them  upon  the  palisades  around  our  village  to 
show  them  for  many  a  day  to  your  brethren  whom  we 
capture." 

Father  Jogues  endeavored  to  show  them  how  unworth- 
ily they  were  acting,  reminding  them  of  his  confidence  in 
placing  himself  in  their  hands,  the  invitations  they  had 
given  him  to  come  and  live  among  them,  the  promises 
which  they  had  solemnly  made,  the  manner  in  which 
the  French  had  acted  towards  them,  their  treaty,  their 
plighted  word,  and  finally  the  unhappy  results  that  war 
would  draw  down  upon  them.  All  was  vain:  a  gloomy 
silence  told  him  that  he  was  speaking  to  men  who  would 
not  hear. 

This  was  not  all:  one  furious  savage  sliced  bits  of  flesh 
from  his  arms  and  back  and  devoured  them,  saying, 
"  Let  us  see  whether  this  white  flesh  is  the  flesh  of  a 
Manitou"  ! 

The  courage  of  the  sufferer  did  not  flinch.  "No,"  he 
replied;  "  I  am  only  a  man  like  you  all,  but  I  fear  neither 
death  nor  torments.  Why  do  you  put  me  to  death  ?  I 
have  come  to  your  country  to  cement  peace,  make  the 
earth  solid,  and  teach  you  the  way  to  heaven,  and  you 

*The  Relation  of  1668  (like  the  missionary  in  his  letter  of  May  2d) 
speaks  of  eighteen  months'  captivity.  It  places  his  death  at  Ganda- 
ouague  (the  Ossernenon  of  Father  Jogues),  the  site  of  which  General 
John  S.  Clark  has  unmistakably  shown  to  be  the  Indian  town  still  to 
be  traced  at  Auriesville.  Father  Martin  now  recognizes  Auriesville 
to  be  the  place  of  the  death  of  Father  Jogues. 


200  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

treat  me  like  a  wild  beast !  Fear  the  chastisement  of 
the  Master  of  life."* 

Meanwhile  a  division  arose  in  the  tribe.  The  families 
of  the  Wolf  and  Tortoisef  wished  to  save  the  lives  of  the 
prisoners,  and  made  every  effort  to  rescue  them.  "  Kill 
us,"  they  said  to  their  opponents,  "rather  than  butcher 
in  this  way  men  who  have  done  us  no  harm,  and  who 
come  to  us  by  faith  of  a  treaty;"  but  the  Bear  family 
stubbornly  insisted  that  they  must  die. 

It  was  a  grave  question,  affecting  the  whole  nation.  It 
was  referred  to  a  great  council  of  sachems  and  chiefs, 
which  met  at  Tionnontogen,  the  largest  of  the  Mohawk 
towns,  situated  several  miles  farther  west.  Here  the 
peace  party  prevailed.  It  was  decided  that  the  prisoners 
should  enjoy  life  and  liberty;  but  the  party  who  thirsted 
for  their  blood  did  not  wait  for  the  result  of  this  resolu- 
tion, and  their  crime  was  accomplished  when  the  dele- 
gates to  the  council  returned  to  prevent  it. 

On  the  i8th  of  October  some  Mohawks  of  the  Bear 
family  had  secretly  formed  a  wicked  plot  to  execute  by 
themselves,  and  by  their  own  private  authority,  this 
odious  crime. 

On  the  evening  of  the  iSthJ  these  Indians  went  to 
Father  Jogues  and  perfidiously  invited  him  to  take  a  meal 
in  their  cabin.  Accustomed  to  see  in  everything  a  mys- 
terious disposition  of  Divine  Providence,  the  servant  of 
God  followed  them  humbly.  It  was  the  hour  of  his  last 
sacrifice.     But  sudden  as  was  the  blow  which  struck  him, 

*  Manuscript  of  Father  De  Quen. 

f  Each  Iroquois  nation  was  made  up  of  groups  or  families,  each  tak. 
ing  its  name  in  most  cases  from  some  animal.  To  these  families  be- 
longed the  right  of  appointing  sachems,  who  presided  in  the  great 
councils  of  the  League.  These  sachems  retain  to  this  day  the  heredi- 
tary names  borne  hundreds  of  years  ago.  Each  family  had  also  its 
war-chiefs, 

:}:  Charlevoix  incorrectly  gives  the  17th  as  the  date;  but  see  the  Re- 
lation for  1646-47,  which  is  supported  by  the  Manuscript  of  1652  and 
the  letter  of  Father  J.  Lalemant  in  the  Archives  at  the  Gesu. 


His  Death.  201 

it  was  not  unexpected  by  the  faithful  missionary.  He 
kept  himself  always  ready  for  any  event.  At  the  moment 
when  Father  Jogues  crossed  the  threshold  of  the  cabin 
they  dealt  him  a  blow  with  a  tomahawk  which  laid  him 
dead.  His  head  was  immediately  cut  off  and  set  up  on 
one  of  the  palisades  encircling  the  place,  the  face  turned 
towards  the  road  by  which  he  had  come. 

Early  the  next  morning  his  companion*  and  the  Huron 
who  had  guided  them  met  tlie  same  fate,  and  their  bodies 
were  cast  into  the  river.  This  assassination  was  publicly 
condemned  by  the  principal  sachem  of  the  nation.  "  That 
blow  of  the  tomahawk,"  he  said,  "can  bring  us  only  mis- 
fortune." But  his  power  to  punish  the  crime  could  ex- 
tend no  further. 

Kiotsaeton,  one  of  the  deputies  to  the  peace  negotia- 
tions in  1643,  spoke  boldly  against  this  criminal  perfidy, 
and  by  the  freedom  of  his  language  became  an  object  of 
suspicion  to  the  wicked  clan.  Another  Iroquois,  sur- 
named  by  the  French  "le  Berger,"  also  endeavored  to 
thwart  the  murder  of  the  missionar3^  He  was  impelled 
to  do  so  by  a  sense  of  gratitude;  for,  having  been  taken 
prisoner  by  the  Algonquins,  he  owed  liberty  and  life  to 
the  interposition  of  Governor  de  Montmagny.  But  his 
efforts  to  prevent  the  tragic  end  of  Father  Jogues  were 
in  vain.  When  he  saw  the  murderer  raise  his  axe  to 
strike  him  he  tried  to  ward  off  the  blow,  and  received  a 
wound  in  the  arm.  This  charitable  act  drew  on  him 
heavenly  blessings:  he  had  the  happiness  to  die  a  Chris- 
tian, and  with  sentiments  of  deep  piety,  during  a  voyage 
to  France. t 

*This  young  Frenchman,  John  De  La  Lande,  was  a  native  of  Dieppe. 
He  undertook  this  journey  simply  from  religious  motives.  The  desire 
of  contributing  to  the  glory  of  God,  even  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  had 
impelled  him  to  ask.  as  a  favor,  permission  to  accompany  the  intrepid 
missionary.      He  found  a  crown  worthy  the  aspiration  of  a  heart  full 

of  faith. 

f  This  Indian  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Christian  Algonquins 
when  religion  was  beginning  to  bring  the  Indian  to  more  humane 


202  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

The  old  woman  to  whom  Father  Jogues  belonged  dur- 
ing his  captivity,  who  had  taken  care  of  him,  and  whom 
he  called  his  aunt,  also  opposed  with  resolution  the  pro- 
ject for  his  death.  ''  You  must  kill  me  at  the  same  blow," 
she  said.  It  was  in  vain;  her  brother,  who  was  very  far 
from  sharing  her  feelings-,  was  even  one  of  the  accom- 
plices in  his  death,  and  betrayed  the  victim. 

There  were  other  proofs,  too,  of  the  division  that  pre- 
vailed among  the  Mohawks  after  this  deplorable  execu- 
tion. A  chief  who  had  a  Huron  prisoner  in  his  hands 
was  so  indignant  at  the  conduct  of  his  countrymen,  that 
he  set  him  free,  and  sent  him  to  tell  the  French  that  he 
would  not  make  war  on  them,  and  that  the  Algonquins 
alone  were  his  enemies. 

The  death  of  Father  Jogues  was  not  known  in  Can- 
ada for  a  long  time.  A  rumor  came,  but  in  a  vague  form, 
on  the  report  of  some  women  who  had  escaped  from  the 
Iroquois  country,  and  on  that  of  the  Huron  who  had 
been  set  at  liberty.     It  was,  however,  soon  suspected,  and 

ideas.  "When  this  captive  was  solemnly  received  at  the  village  of 
Sillery  a  chief  told  him,  "Do  not  fear  ill-treatment:  we  have  aban- 
doned that  cruel  custom."  When  Berger  saw  his  bonds  broken  he 
could  scarcely  believe  his  eyes.  He  was  treated  with  kindness  when 
he  expected  to  undergo  horrible  tortures.  The  Governor,  to  whom 
his  case  was  referred,  declared  him  free,  praised  his  courage,  expressed 
friendship  for  him,  and  gave  him  presents.  The  Iroquois  at  once  ex- 
claimed, "This  goes  well;  my  body  is  delivered  from  death,  I  am 
saved  from  the  fire.  Onontio,  you  gave  me  life:  I  thank  you  for  it;  I 
shall  never  forget  it.  My  whole  tribe  shall  be  grateful.  The  land  is 
about  to  become  beautiful;  the  rivers  shall  be  calm  and  smooth;  peace 
will  make  us  all  friends.  Now  I  have  no  shade  in  my  eyes.  The 
souls  of  my  ancestors  slain  by  the  Algonquins  have  vanished.  I  have 
them  beneath  my  feet.  Onontio,  men  must  avow  that  you  are  good 
and  that  we  are  bad,  but  our  anger  is  extinguished."  Then  he  began 
to  dance  and  sing  in  cadence.  He  suddenly  stopped,  seized  a  hatchej 
and  brandished  it,  gesticulating  like  a  furious  man.  At  last,  throwing 
away  the  hatchet,  he  said,  "  My  fury  is  overcome.  I  lay  down  my 
arms.  I  am  your  friend  forever."  He  kept  his  word,  and  always 
remained  faithful  to  the  French. 


Governor  K left's  Letter.  203 

justly,  when  Iroquois  war-parties  were  seen  once  more  in- 
festing the  great  river  and  renewing  their  depredations 
and  cruelties. 

A  letter  from  William  Kieft,  Governor  of  New  Nether- 
land,  addressed  to  the  Chevalier  de  Montmagny  at  last 
confirmed  all  the  apprehensions  entertained.  Altliough 
dated  in  the  month  of  November,  1646,  it  did  not  arrive 
till  June  in  the  following  year. 

According  to  the  Manuscript  of  1652,  it  read  : 

"  Monsieur,  Monsieur  : 

"  I  wrote  a  reply  to  that  which  you  were  pleased  to 
honor  me  with  by  Father  Jogues,  dated  May  15th,  and  I 
sent  it  to  Fort  Orange  to  deliver  it  to  said  F.  de  Jogues; 
but  he  not  having  returned  as  expected,  it  was  not  imme- 
diately sent.  This  will  serve,  then,  to  thank  your  Excel- 
lency for  your  remembrance  of  me,  which  I  shall  endeavor 
to  return,  if  it  please  God  to  give  me  an  opportunity. 
I  send  this  through  the  Northern  quarters,  either  by 
means  of  the  English  or  Monsieur  d'Aulnay,*  in  order  to 
advise  you  of  the  massacre  of  F.  Isaac  de  Jogues  and  his 
companion,  perpetrated  by  the  barbarous  and  inhuman 
Maquaas,  or  Iroquois;  as  also  of  their  design  to  surprise 
you,  under  color  of  a  visit,  as  you  will  see  by  the  enclosed 
letter,  which,  though  badly  written  and  spelled,  will,  to 
our  great  regret,  give  you  all  the  particulars.  I  am  sorry 
that  the  subject  of  this  is  not  more  agreeable  ;  but  the 
importance  of  the  affair  has  not  permitted  me  to  be 
silent.  Our  minister  abovef  carefully  inquired  of  the 
chiefs  of  this  canaille  their  reasons  for  the  wretched  act, 
but  he  could  get  no  answer  from  them  but  this,  that  the 
said  Father  had  left,  among  some  articles  that  he  had 
left  in  their  keeping,  a  devil,  who  had  caused  all  their  corn 
or  maize  to  be  eaten  up  by  worms.     This   is   all   I   can 


*  D'Aulnay  de  Charnise  was  then  French  commandant  in  Acadia. 
f  At  Rensselaersvvyck. 


204  ^?/^  <^f  ^^^^^^^^  Jogues. 

at  present  write  to  your  Lordship.  Praying  God  to  vouch- 
safe to  guard  you  and  yours  from  this  treacherous  na- 
tion, and  assuring  you  that  I  am 

"Your  most  humble  and  obedient  servant, 

"  William  Kieft. 
"Fort  Amsterdam,  in  New  Netherland,  November  14,  1646." 

The  letter  inclosed,  written  by  Labatie,  the  Dutch  in- 
terpreter, was  addressed  to  Mr.  La  Montague,  a  Hugue- 
not doctor  living  on  Manhattan  Island,  who  held  the 
hio-hest  place  in  the  Colonial  Council  after  the  Director- 
General;  we  give  it  with  his  style,  according  to  the  Man- 
uscript of  1652.* 

"  Praised  be  God,  at  Fort  Orange  ! 

"  Monsieur,  Monsieur  La  Montagne  : 

"  I  have  not  wished  to  lose  this  occasion  of  letting  you 
know  my  state  of  health.  I  am  in  good  health,  thank 
God,  and  pray  God  that  it  may  be  so  with  you  and  your 
children. 

"  I  have  not  much  more  to  tell  you,  but  how  the  French 
arrived  the  seventeenth  of  this  present  month  at  the  Ma- 
quaas  fort.  This  is  to  let  you  know  how  those  ungrateful 
barbarians  did  not  wait  till  they  were  fairly  arrived  at 
their  cabins,  where  they  were  stripped  all  naked,  without 
shirt,  only  they  gave  each  a  breech-cloth, 

"The  very  day  of  their  coming  they  began  to  threaten 
them,  and  immediately  with  fists  and  clubs,  saying: 
'You  shall  die  to-morrow!  Do  not  be  astonislicd,  we 
shall  not  burn  you;  take  courage;  we  shall  strike  3^ou 
with  an  axe,  and  put  your  heads  on  the  palisade,  that  3^our 


*The  Relation  of  1647,  which  Charlevoix  follows,  says  that  this  let- 
ter was  addressed  to  Mr.  Bourdon,  Father  Jogues'  companion  on  his 
first  embassy.  This  does  not  agree  with  the  contemporary  manu- 
scripts in  our  possession.  The  address  bears  the  name  of  M.  Lamon- 
tagne,  and  the  context  shows  that  Labatie  saw  no  way  of  communi- 
cating with  the  French  colony. 


Labaties  Letter,  205 

brothers  may  see  you  yet,  when  we  take  them.'  You 
must  know  that  it  was  only  the  Bear  nation  that  killed 
them.  Knowing  that  the  Wolf  and  Tortoise  tribes  have 
done  all  that  they  could  to  save  their  lives,  and  said 
iigainst  the  Bear,  *  Kill  us  first ; '  but,  alas,  they  are  no 
longer  alive.  Know,  then,  that  the  eighteenth,  in  the 
evening,  they  came  to  call  Isaac  to  supper.  He  got  up 
and  went  away  with  the  savage  to  the  Bear's  lodge  ;  as 
entering  the  lodge,  there  was  a  traitor  with  his  hatchet 
behind  the  door.  On  entering,  he  split  open  his  head, 
and  at  the  same  time  cut  off  his  head  and  put  it  on  the 
palisade.  The  next  morning  early  he  did  the  same  with 
the  other,  and  threw  their  bodies  into  the  river.  Monsieur, 
I  have  not  been  able  to  know  or  hear  from  any  savage 
why  they  killed  them. 

"Besides  this,  according  to  their  envy  and  enterprise, 
they  are  going  with  three  or  four  hundred  men  to  try 
and  surprise  the  French,  to  do  the  same  as  they  did  to 
the  others;  but  God  grant  they  don't  accomplish  their 
design. 

"  It  would  be  desirable  that  Monsieur  should  be  warned, 
but  there  is  no  way  to  do  it  from  here.     Monsieur,  I  have 
no  more  to  write,  but  I  remain 
"  Your  very  humble  and  affectionate  servant  and  friend, 

"  Jean  Labatie. 

"Monsieur,  I  beg  you  (give)  my  baisemains  (respects) 
to  the  Governor. 

"WriUen  at  Fort  Orange,  Oct.  30,  1646." 

The  Mohawks  carried  to  the  Dutch  the  missal,  ritual, 
breeches,  and  cassock  of  Father  Jogues,  in  hopes,  doubt- 
less, of  obtaining  some  reward.  When  the  Dutch  blamed 
them  for  massacring  the  Frenchman  in  such  a  way,  they 
justified  themselves  by  a  falsehood  aggravated  by  a  ca- 
lumny. They  replied  that  the  Jesuits  did  not  think  as 
they  did,  and  that  they  always  had  their  arms  ready  to 
kill  the  Dutch. 


2o6  Ltf(^  of  Father  Jogues. 

God  did  not  permit  that  the  remains  of  the  servant  of 
God  should  be  recovered  and  preserved  for  our  venera- 
tion, but  He  glorified  him  by  visiting  a  signal  vengeance 
on  his  murderers,  and  those  of  his  companions,  and  by 
the  favors  with  which  He  has  honored  his  name,  as  we 
shall  see. 

The  two  young  men  who  had  put  good  Rene  Goupil 
to  death  before  the  eyes  of  the  missionary  were  soon 
seized  with  a  disorder  unknown  in  the  country,  and  died 
wretchedly.  The  woman  who  through  a  cowardly  sub- 
mission had  cruelly  cut  off  Father  Jogues'  thumb,  as 
well  as  those  who  mangled  his  fingers  with  their  teeth 
to  crush  out  the  bones,  were  all  killed  in  succession  soon 
after. 

The  epidemic  which  spread  in  the  country  served  as 
an  instrument  of  divine  justice,  and  found  many  victims 
among  the  most  bloodthirsty  Iroquois. 

The  assassin  of  Father  Jogues  merited  a  more  exem- 
plary punishment;  but  this  chastisement  was  at  the  same 
time  a  token  of  great  mercy.  God  seems  to  have  wished 
to  show,  by  one  more  example,  the  full  power  of  the  prayer 
of  the  just  man  imploring  pardon  for  his  persecutors. 

In  fact,  on  the  i6th  of  October,  1647,  John  Amiot,*  a 
young  Frenchman,  brought  in  to  Sillery  an  Iroquois 
whom  he  had  just  captured  near  Three  Rivers.  As  the 
Algonquins  of  that  Mission  had  to  avenge  the  death  of 
some  of  their  people  recently  cut  off  by  the  Iroquois,  the 
Governor  consented  that  an  example  should  be  made,  and 
delivered  the  prisoner  to  the  Indians  to  undergo  his  fate, 
forbidding  the  Algonquins,  however,  to  prolong  his  tor- 
tures or  eat  his  flesh.  He  was  obeyed.  The  prisoner  did 
not  suffer  an  hour.  He  was  put  out  of  misery,  and  his 
body  was  thrown  into  the  river.     During  the  eight  or  ten 

*  John  Amiot  had  served  in  his  youth  on  the  Huron  Mission.  He 
was  ahke  brave  and  virtuous,  More  than  once  he  commanded  parties 
in  pursuit  of  the  Iroquois  He  was  drowned  with  Francis  Marguerie 
before  Three  Rivers,  in  1648. 


His  iVhcrdercr  Converted,  207 

days  which  preceded  his  execution  the  missionaries  be- 
stowed every  care  on  the  prisoner,  in  order  to  prepare 
him  to  die  well.  He  listened  with  docility,  and  soon  as- 
tonished them  by  tlie  remarkable  evidence  of  his  faith, 
and  his  repentance  for  his  sins. 

A  twofold  interest  attached  to  his  fate:  it  had  just 
been  discovered  that  he  had  been  the  murderer  of  the 
servant  of  God.  In  conversation  he  had  related  at 
length  the  persecutions  and  cruel  treatment  to  which 
the  Iroquois  had  subjected  the  French,  and  especially 
Father  Jogues,  whose  virtue  he  extolled.  He  described, 
as  an  eye-witness,  the  sudden  outburst  of  one  part  of 
the  village  against  the  missionary,  and  he  declared  that 
his  death  was  the  work  of  but  a  few  fanatics,  who  acted 
in  defiance  of  the  judgment  of  the  assembly  of  the  three 
towns. 

He  was  asked  the  name  of  the  murderer  of  John  De 
La  Lande,  and  he  gave  it  on  the  spot  ;  but  when  they 
wished  him  to  reveal  the  name  of  the  one  who  had 
tomahawked  Father  Jogues,  he  hung  his  head  and 
remained  silent,  as  though  ashamed  of  his  crime.  The 
Huron  who  had  escaped  from  the  Mohawks  and  had  just 
arrived  was  cognizant  of  all  the  tragical  events.  He 
recognized  the  murderer,  and  the  guilty  man  did  not 
attempt  to  deny  his  crime.  He  seemed  to  think  only  of 
detesting  and  expiating  it. 

He  was  soon  deemed  wortliy  to  receive  baptism,  and 
in  sign  of  peace  and  union  with  his  victim  he  received 
at  the  sacred  font  the  name  of  Isaac* 

These  happy  dispositions  did  not  diminish  for  a  mo- 
ment. During  his  execution  he  uttered  no  complaint. 
His  lips  pronounced  no  taunts  to  his  torturers,  and  he 
made  neither   bravado  nor  threats  as  victims  generally 


*  In  the  Register  of  the  Sillery  Mission,  under  the  date  of 
September  i6,  is  this  entry  in  the  handwriting  of  Father  Druillettes: 
"Baptisavi  Isaacum  captivum  Agnonguerronon  (vulgo  Iroquois)  mox 
comburendum . " 


2o8  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

do.  Amid  his  pains  he  was  heard  exclaiming,  ''Jesus, 
Jesus!"  He  had  said  shortly  before,  "Antaiok  [the 
Indian  name  of  the  Frenchman  who  had  taken  him]  is 
the  cause  of  my  going  to  heaven.  I  am  satisfied,  and 
thank  him." 

God  employed  men  to  execute  His  justice  upon  him, 
at  the  same  time  that  He  granted  his  soul  the  benefit  of 
His  most  mysterious  mercies. 

The  death  of  the  servant  of  God  which  we  have  re- 
lated was  doubtless  the  immediate  result  of  those 
odious  suspicions  of  witchcraft  of  which  the  Mohawks 
believed  themselves  victims.  Futile  and  ridiculous  as 
they  seem  to  us,  they  were  of  a  nature  to  exercise  a 
powerful  influence  on  ignorant  and  superstitious  minds. 
When  the  material  interests  of  a  gross  people  are  affect- 
ed, inasmuch  as  they  know  no  life  but  that  of  the  senses, 
they  can  be  easily  driven  to  the  most  violent  excesses. 
Like  brutes,  they  dream  only  of  violence  when  they  think 
themselves  wounded;  but  less  clear-sighted  than  ani- 
mals, they  are  blinded  by  prejudice  and  ignorance,  and 
then  often  mistake  falsehood  for  truth,  and  crime  itself 
for  an  act  of  virtue. 

In  this  tragic  termination  of  an  apostolic  life  there  is 
something  more,  when  it  is  studied  by  the  light  of  faith. 
Is  it  not  the  heroic  consummation  of  a  life  of  sacrifice, 
which  we  admire  as  a  martyr's  death  ? 

When  Father  Charles  Garnier,  then  a  missionary 
among  the  Hurons,  and  soon  to  be  himself  a  victim  to 
the  hatred  of  the  Iroquois,  announced  the  death  to  one 
of  his  brothers  in  France,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  say, 
"  Hi  sunt  martyres  caritatis  et  obedientiae" — "These  are 
martyrs  of  charity  and  obedience." 

Father  Jerome  Lalemant,  then  Superior  of  the  Canada 
Mission,  expresses  himself  in  as  decisive  a  manner  in 
the  Relation  of  the  Missions  for  1647.  "We  have  re- 
spected this  death,"  says  he,  "as  the  death  of  a  martyr. 
Although  we  were  separated  from  one  another  when  we 


Regarded  as  a  Martyr.  209 

learned  it,  several  Fathers,  without  any  previous 
consultation,  found  that  they  could  not  bring  themselves 
to  offer  a  requiem  Mass  for  him,  but  they  presented 
the  adorable  sacrifice  in  thanksgiving  for  the  benefits 
which  God  had  bestowed  upon  him.  Seculars  who 
knew  him  best,  and  religious  houses  also,  respected  this 
death,  and  were  all  inclined  to  invoke  him  rather  than 
pray  for  his  soul. 

"In  fact,  it  is  the  thought  of  several  learned  men  (and 
this  thought  is  more  than  reasonable)  that  he  is  really  a 
martyr  in  the  eyes  of  God,  who  bears  testimony  before 
heaven  and  earth,  and  who  esteems  the  Faith  and  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  more  than  his  own  life,  losing  it 
in  the  perils  into  which  he  plunges  for  Christ's  sake,  pro- 
testing before  His  face  that  he  wishes  to  die  in  order  to 
make  His  Name  known.  This  is  a  martyr's  death  in 
the  sight  of  the  angels.  And  it  was  with  this  view  that 
Father  Jogues  gave  his  life  to  Jesus  Christ  and  for  Jesus 
Christ. 

"I  say  even  more:  he  not  only  took  the  means  to 
proclaim  the  Gospel,  which  caused  his  death,  but  we  can 
also  aver  that  he  was  killed  out  of  hatred  for  the  doc- 
trine of  Christ. 

"In  fact,  the  Algonquins,  the  Hurons,  and  subse- 
quently the  Iroquois,  persuaded  by  tlieir  captives,  have 
had,  and  some  of  them  still  have,  an  extreme  hatred  and 
horror  of  our  doctrine,  saying  that  it  causes  their  death, 
and  contains  charms  and  spells,  which  cause  the  de- 
struction of  their  grain,  and  produce  contagious  and 
epidemic  diseases,  such  as  now  begin  to  ravage  the 
Iroquois.  It  is  on  this  ground  that  we  have  been  on 
the  point  of  being  massacred  in  every  place  where  we 
have  been,  and  even  at  present  we  are  not  without  the 
hope  of  enjoying  that  happiness  some  day. 

"  Now,  just  as  formerly  in  the  primitive  Church,  the 
children  of  Jesus  Christ  were  reproached  with  causing 
misfortunes  everywhere,  and  some  were  put  to  death  on. 


2 1  o  Life  of  Father  Jogties, 

that  pretext,  so  are  we  persecuted  because  by  our  doc- 
trine, which  is  only  that  of  Jesus  Christ,  we  depopulate 
their  countries,  as  they  assert,  and  it  was  on  this  pretext 
that  they  put  Father  Jogues  to  death.  We  may  there- 
fore regard  him  as  a  martyr  before  God." 

The  proper  tribunals  at  Rome*  have  it  now  under 
consideration  whether  proof  exists  to  decide  juridically 
the  martyrdom  of  the  servant  of  God — that  is,  to  prove 
that  his  murderers  were  impelled  by  a  hatred  of  the 
Faith  in  putting  him  to  death  ;  but  we  can  meanwhile 
console  ourselves  with  the  testimony  of  St.  Cyprian, 
who  said  to  the  Thibaritans  (Epist.  56),  "  You  are  not 
alone,  for  wherever  you  go  you  are  with  God.  If  flying 
to  the  wilderness,  if  hiding  in  the  mountains,  you  are 
slain  by  robbers  or  devoured  by  a  wild  beast,  or  con- 
sumed by  hunger,  thirst,  or  cold,  or  swept  away  by  the 
storm,  what  difference  does  the  battle-field  make  ? 
Jesus  Christ  contemplates  you  from  heaven  on  high  as 
His  soldiers  battling  for  the  glory  of  His  Name,  and  you 
shall  have  the  same  reward  as  he  who  has  all  the  glory 
of  the  combat,  for  an  obscure  death  is  not  less  glorious 
than  that  which  has  the  publicity  of  a  triumph.  For  the 
certainty  of  martyrdom  it  is  enough  to  have  as  a  wit- 
ness Him  who  tries  and  crowns  the  martyr." 

*  Petitions  for  the  Introduction  of  the  Cause  of  Beatification  of 
Rene  Goupil,  Father  Isaac  Jogues,  and  the  Iroquois  virgin  Catherine 
Tegakwita  have  been  recently  presented  to  the  Holy  See  in  great 
number.     See  note  at  end  of  volume. 


Virtues  of  Father  Jogiies,  2 1 1 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

Virtues  of  Father  Jogues — Favors  obtained  by  his  Intercession. 

^iriAT'E  should  not  do  full  justice  to  the  virtues  of 
yy/^  Father  Jogues  if  we  passed  over  in  silence  some 
more  interior  traits  which  have  been  passed  by 
in  the  narrative,  and  which  have  been  transmitted  by  his 
confidant  and  friend,  Father  Buteux,  w^hose  manuscripts 
have  fortunately  escaped  destruction.  We  must  first 
recognize  that  he  possessed  in  a  high  degree  the  happy 
qualities,  which,  according  to  Father  de  Brebeuf,  ought 
to  characterize  a  Huron  missionary.  "  To  convert  them," 
said  he,  "requires  not  so  much  learning  as  goodness  and 
solid  virtue.  The  four  elements  of  an  apostolic  man  in 
New  France  are  affability,  humility,  patience,  and  gener- 
ous charity.  Too  ardent  a  zeal  burns  more  than  it  warms, 
and  spoils  everything.  It  requires  great  magnanimity 
and  condescendence  to  attract  these  Indians  gradually. 
They  do  not  grasp  our  theology  readily,  but  they  under- 
stand perfectly  our  humility  and  affability,  and  are  won 
by  them"  (Relation  for  1636). 

HUMILITY    AND    MORTIFICATION. 

We  readily  borrow  from  Father  Buteux  this  beautiful 
tiiought,  which  he  places  at  the  head  of  his  notes  on  the 
virtue  of  Father  Jogues.  "I  have  always  thought  that 
what  was  said  and  related  in  writing  as  to  the  lives  of 
the  Saints  was  the  smallest  and  least  considerable  part 
of  what  they  had  done,  and  that  scarcely  any  tiling  was 


212  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

said  of  their  interior,  which  is  nevertheless  the  noblest 
ornament  of  their  life.  *  Omnis  gloria  filiae  regis  ab  intus  ' 
— 'AH  the  glory  of  the  king's  daughter  is  within'  (Ps. 
xliv.  14).  I  thought  that  their  humility  made  them  con- 
ceal the  most  wonderful  external  things  that  they  had 
done,  such  as  miracles,  or  great  sufferings  and  torments 
which  they  had  endured  for  the  love  of  God.  I  was 
confirmed  in  this  thought  last  year,  when  I  resided  with 
Father  Jogues  the  greater  part  of  the  year.  The  solitude 
in  which  we  were,  and  the  familiar  conversations  which  I 
had  with  him,  caused  me  to  admire  his  virtue  and  to  dis- 
cover many  things  which  his  humility  had  never  shown, 
and  nevertheless  I  should  not  have  known  all  that  I  shall 
say,  if  I  had  not  used  the  power  which  obedience  gave 
me  over  him — who  was,  however,  my  superior  in  every- 
thing and  for  everything. 

''  Humility  is  one  of  the  virtues  which  I  most  admired 
in  him.  It  prevented  my  obtaining  many  details  as  to 
his  sufferings  and  struggles;  he  did  not  like  to  speak  of 
them.  When  urging  him  one  day  to  tell  me  something 
of  what  God  had  made  his  soul  undergo  in  his  captivity, 
I  could  draw  from  him  only  these  three  words  :  'Dies 
isti  mali '  — '  They  were  wretched  days.' 

"To  hear  him,  the  Society  of  Jesus  had  never  had  a 
member  less  capable  than  himself  of  serving  God,  nor  a 
heart  so  ungrateful  and  unfaitliful  to  grace.  He  deemed 
himself  unworthy  of  the  habit  which  he  wore.  When  he 
spoke  of  the  favor  which  God  had  done  him,  to  suffer 
for  His  love,  he  siglied  over  the  little  profit  he  had  de- 
rived from  it,  and  his  tears  flowed  abundantly.  One  of 
his  great  faults,  with  which  he  bitterly  reproached  him- 
self, was  that  he  had  felt  some  pleasure  in  the  thought 
of  death  as  the  term  of  his  fearful  sufferings. 

"  How  could  I  wring  any  words  that  seemed  to  con- 
vey the  slightest  praise  from  the  lips  of  a  man  who 
always  concealed  himself  in  the  shadow,  in  order  to 
cover  up  the  signal  graces  which  he  had  received  from 


Hum  ill  ty  and  Mortification.  213 

heaven — who  was  convinced  that  he  did  no  good,  and 
that  what  came  from  others  was  always  better?  He 
questioned  me  as  a  novice  would  have  done  as  to  the 
manner  in  which  he  should  make  his  meditation  and  his 
thanksgiving  after  Mass.  Shortly  before  his  departure 
for  Quebec  he  wrote  me  that  he  would  have  liked  to 
spend  another  year  with  me  in  order  to  exercise  himself 
more  solidly  in  virtue  than  he  had  done;  'yet,'  he  add- 
ed, '  I  would  like  better  to  return  for  the  third  time  to 
the  Iroquois  country.' 

"I  had  to  employ  stratagems  to  obtain  of  him  the  in- 
formation I  succeeded  in  gathering:  not  but  that  he  had 
the  perfect  submission  of  obedience,  but  because  he  had 
so  low  an  opinion  of  himself,  that  it  seemed  impossible 
for  him  to  speak  of  himself  except  with  contempt.  He 
seemed  afflicted  and  constrained  when  any  esteem  was 
shown  him  because  he  had  suffered  so  much  for  Christ, 
and  when  people  asked  to  see  his  mutilated  hands. 

"  On  his  return  to  France,  the  Queen  had  to  repeat  her 
invitation  twice  before  he  could  decide  to  appear  before 
her.  He  could  not  persuade  himself  that  she  really  de- 
sired it." 

In  a  moment  of  unreserve  he  made  with  simplicity 
this  touching  and  humble  avowal  :  **  God  gave  me  from 
my  tenderest  youth  this  pious  regard  for  those  who  chas- 
tised me,  as  I  only  too  often  deserved  it.  When  I  was  a 
schoolboy  I  took  the  ferule,  and  when  I  could  even  the 
hand  of  the  one  who  corrected  me,  to  kiss  it  as  a  sign 
of  affectionate  gratitude.  But  I  did  so  especially  among 
the  Iroquois,  where,  after  life  was  granted  to  us,  I  did 
not  fail  to  kiss  for  several  days  in  succession  the  posts 
supporting  the  stage  or  scaffold  on  which  we  had  suf- 
fered; and  the  sight  of  that  place  of  torture  was  a  sub- 
ject of  consolation,  thanksgiving,  and  gratitude  to  Our 
Lord  for  the  favor  He  had  done  me  there. " 

The  last  year  of  his  life  he  spent  in  Montreal,  and  as 
though  he  had  a  presentiment  of  his  approaching  death, 


2  14  ^if^^f  Father  Jogues. 

he  desired  to  make  a  more  immediate  preparation  for  it 
by  instituting  a  general  review  of  his  conscience  from  his 
earliest  years.  "In  this  confession,"  says  Father  Buteux, 
who  received  the  avowal  of  his  faults,  "he  showed  all  the 
humility  and  candor  of  a  child." 

He  could  not  bear  to  see  any  deference  or  special  at- 
tention paid  to  him,  such  as  the  feeble  state  of  his  health 
seemed  to  call  for.  "I  do  not  need  anything,"  he  said  ; 
"  I  do  not  wish  when  I  go  back  among  the  Iroquois  that 
my  wretched  nature  shall  turn  its  head  towards  these 
houses,  where  it  has  found  so  much  ease.  I  want  only 
things  absolutely  necessary.  Why  should  I  give  myself 
these  indulgences  that  I  must  look  for  in  vain  hereafter  ? 
God  forbid  that  I  should  pamper  the  inclinations  of  my 
body  by  granting  it  what  it  cannot  always  have  !' 

His  fervor  seemed  to  increase  daily,  and  his  devotion 
to  the  Blessed  Sacrament  was  the  powerful  means  which 
he  employed  to  nourish  his  virtue.  It  was  before  this 
hidden  God  that  he  loved  to  perform  his  spiritual  exer- 
cises; neither  severe  cold,  nor  excessive  heat,  nor  impor- 
tunate insects  could  divert  him  from  his  pious  practices. 
He  heard  all  the  masses  that  were  said,  and  yet  he  la- 
mented his  tepidity.  He  longed,  he  said,  to  make  up  for 
the  time  when  he  had  been  unable  to  offer  that  Divine 
Sacrifice,  and  to  supply,  in  anticipation,  for  the  time 
when  he  might  be  again  deprived  of  that  happiness. 

Father  Jogues'  courage  in  suffering  inspired  Father 
Buteux  with  this  reflection:  "  I  undertake  this  narrative," 
says  he,  "  first  to  show  slack  and  cowardly  souls,  like  my 
own,  how  wrong  we  are  to  fly  from  pain  and  mortifica- 
tion under  the  pretext  of  health,  since  this  Father,  who 
has  endured  so  much,  is  as  sound  and  whole  as  ever;  and 
secondly,  to  give  holy  and  courageous  souls  an  occasion 
to  praise  God  and  thank  Him  that  He  has  still  in  these 
times  servants  and  faithful  souls  who  '  fill  up  those  things 
that  are  wanting  of  the  sufferings  of  Christ '  "  (Col.  i.  24). 


Charity  and  Chastity,  215 


CHARITY    AND    CHASTITY. 

His  ardent  charity  for  his  brethren  and  for  the  Indians 
is  conspicuous  in  what  we  have  related.  Never  amid  his 
sufferings  and  all  the  refinements  of  cruelty  adopted  by 
his  torturers  did  he  feel  the  least  aversion  for  them.  On 
the  contrary,  he  felt  sentiments  of  love  and  compassion 
for  the  Iroquois;  he  desired  their  salvation,  and  prayed 
incessantly  for  them.  It  was  one  of  his  consolations  to 
think  that  he  had  been  the  first  to  shed  his  blood  for 
God's  glory  amid  that  heathen  nation,  in  tlie  hope  that 
this  holocaust  would  hasten  their  conversion. 

The  blindness  of  these  people  and  their  opposition  to 
the  Faith  deeply  afflicted  his  soul.  He  regarded  their 
excessive  cruelty  to  him  with  the  compassionate  pity  of 
a  mother  afflicted  by  the  sight  of  a  child  seized  with  in- 
sanity. On  other  occasions  he  considered  them  as  the 
rod  of  the  Lord,  appointed  to  punish  his  sins,  and  he 
bowed  with  submission  beneath  His  hand  while  adoring 
His  judgments. 

His  chastity,  as  angelic  as  his  charity,  excited  the  ad- 
miration of  the  very  savages.  Like  a  vigilant  sentinel, 
he  was  always  in  arms  to  defend  it.  The  rigorous  treat- 
ment to  which  he  subjected  his  body,  already  so  cruelly 
tortured  by  these  Indians,  proves  clearly  that  he  had  never 
regarded  it,  except  as  a  slave  to  be  kept  under,  because 
its  revolt  was  always  to  be  feared.  The  state  of  almost 
perfect  nudity  in  whicli  he  was  left  during  a  part  of  his 
captivity  was  a  more  painful  cross  to  him  than  all  his 
other  sufferings. 

A  Dutch  Protestant  entering  the  cabin  where  he  was 
one  day  addressed  some  indecent  words  to  him,  and 
spoke  ironically  of  his  shamefacedness.  The  servant  of 
God  found  in  his  zeal  strength  to  denounce  such  lan- 
o-uage.     He  showed  the  man  the  impropriety  and  sin  of 


2i6  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

his  conduct  so  clearly,  that  the  Indians  did  him  justice, 
and  declared  openly  that  the  French  were  not  lewd  and 
dissolute,  like  the  Dutch.  His  virtue  thus  exalted  his 
whole  nation. 


OBEDIENCE    AND    ZEAL. 

On  entering  the  religious  state  Father  Jogues  had  fully 
comprehended  the  true  value  of  obedience,  and  the  assist- 
ance he  would  find  in  its  practice.  Naturally  timid,  fear- 
ful, and  even  pusillanimous,  he  became  bold  and  intrepid 
when  he  fulfilled  the  will  of  his  superiors.  They  knew 
this  so  well,  that  in  difficult  conjunctures  they  felt  that 
they  could  rely  on  him  as  on  a  rock.  When  he  heard  the 
word  "  Go,"  he  knew  no  obstacle,  he  perceived  no  danger. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  if  he  had  a  decision  to  make  by 
himself,  he  stopped  to  examine  minutely  the  slightest 
difficulties,  while  at  the  voice  of  his  superiors  he  con- 
sidered only  how  to  execute  a  command  and  the  will  of 
God. 

This  disposition  did  not  escape  the  eye  of  the  Indians. 
On  seeing  him  so  docile  to  the  voice  of  his  masters,  and 
so  firm  in  everything  that  concerned  the  glory  of  God, 
they  said  to  him,  "  Indeed,  Ondesonk,  it  would  have  been 
a  pity  to  kill  you,  for  you  act  the  master  when  you  think 
proper,  and  the  obedient  child  when  a  reasonable  order 
is  given  you." 

In  fact  he  was  always  ready  to  obey  the  meanest  Indian 
in  lawful  things,  however  humiliating  they  might  be,  but 
he  could  withstand  the  most  powerful  of  them  when  he 
thought  God's  interests  were  at  stake.  It  was  by  these 
qualities  that  he  was  able  to  acquire  a  complete  mastery 
over  several  of  them.  They  listened  to  him  willingly,  and 
at  last  respected  him.  One  of  the  most  influential  sachems 
deemed  it  an  honor  to  be  visited  by  him,  and  when  he 
expected  the  missionary  he  prepared  beforehand  to  wel- 
come him  as  well  as  he  could,  and  treat  him  properly. 


Obedience  and  Zeal.  217 

The  holy  courage  with  which  Father  Jogues  arrayed 
himself  against  evil  practices  which  he  hoped  to  correct, 
excited  the  admiration  of  the  most  sensible  Indians,  and 
they  often  said  to  him,  ''You  speak  too  boldly:  you  will 
get  killed.  If  here,  where  you  are  a  prisoner  and  with 
none  to  sustain  you,  you  resist  us,  what  would  you  do  if 
you  were  free  and  among  your  own  people  ?  You  surely 
would  not  speak  in  favor  of  the  Iroquois."  They  were 
ignorant  alike  of  evangelical  charity  and  intrepidity. 

In  the  visits  which  Father  Jogues  made  to  the  Dutch 
during  his  captivity  they  invited  him  frequently  to  take 
a  little  of  those  spirituous  liquors  which  the  Indians 
C2\\^di  fire-water^  and  which  they  pressed  on  the  natives  so 
nefariously  in  their  trade.  He  constantly  refused  to  taste 
it,  to  show  them  his  aversion  for  that  drink  which  caused 
drunkenness,  debauchery,  and  a  host  of  disorders. 

During  his  captivity  he  had  the  consolation  of  baptiz- 
ing more  than  sixty  persons,  for  he  let  slip  no  opportunity 
which  Providence  offered  him  of  opening  to  souls  the 
gates  of  heaven. 

His  masters  took  him  one  day  to  a  neighboring  town 
to  witness  the  dances  and  games.  He  followed  them, 
but  with  another  object  than  enjoyment.  As  soon  as  he 
got  there  he  slipped  away  from  the  crowd  and  the  noise, 
and  glided  into  the  cabins  to  comfort  the  sick  and  dying, 
and  administer  baptism.  In  one  of  these  dwellings  he 
found  five  little  children  prostrated  by  the  same  disease, 
and  ready  to  expire.  Their  parents  had  run  off  to  the 
merry-making,  so  that  he  had  ample  leisure  to  discharge 
his  ministry  and  regenerate  them  by  the  sacrament. 
Three  days  after  he  ascertained  that  they  had  all  gone 
to  heaven. 

The  zeal  of  which  Father  Jogues'  whole  life  was  the 
constant  expression  was  the  real  chain  which  kept  him  so 
long  a  prisoner  among  the  Mohawks.  Several  opportuni- 
ties of  escape  had  been  given  him,  but  he  always  repelled 
the  idea  as  a  temptation,  on  account  of  the  good  to  souls 


2i8  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

which  he  was  effecting.  If  at  last  he  consented  to  es- 
cape, it  was,  as  we  have  seen,  on  account  of  the  well- 
grounded  fear  lest  his  death  should  compromise  the  in- 
terests of  the  Faith.  It  was,  on  the  other  hand,  his  con- 
solation to  think  that  he  might  perhaps  be  able  some  day 
to  evangelize  those  districts  which  he  had  bedewed  with 
his  blood. 

The  Lord  did,  indeed,  grant  him  the  favor  to  return, 
but  it  was  to  complete  his  sacrifice  on  the  spot  where  he 
had  so  heroically  begun  it.  The  blood  of  the  martyr 
was  not  shed  in  vain.  He  made  that  impious  land  fruit- 
ful. Some  years  after.  Faith  went  there  to  plant  her 
standard,  and  all  Christian  virtues  were  seen  flourishing. 

Another  precious  fruit  of  this  magnanimous  sacrifice 
was  to  increase  the  ardor  of  his  brethren  and  excite  in 
their  hearts  a  holy  emulation  of  zeal  and  virtue.  Father 
Jerome  Lalemant  wrote  soon  after:  "The  rage  of  the 
Iroquois  will  not  make  the  mystery  of  Christ's  cross  use- 
less. We  shall  be  captured,  we  shall  be  massacred,  we 
shall  be  burned:  so  be  it.  The  noblest  death  is  not  on  a 
bed.  I  do  not  see  one  here  who  hangs  his  head.  On 
the  contrary,  all  ask  to  go  up  to  the  Hurons,  and  all  pro- 
test that  the  fires  of  the  Iroquois  are  one  of  their  motives 
for  undertaking  the  dangerous  journey"  (Relation,  1647). 

The  death  of  the  servant  of  God  w^as  only  the  prelude 
of  the  terrible  trials  through  which  the  5"oung  Canadian 
Church  was  to  pass.  It  was  its  bloodiest,  but  also  its 
most  glorious  epoch. 

Emboldened  by  impunity  and  success,  the  Iroquois 
spread  on  all  sides,  carrying  terror  and  destruction  every- 
where. The  Hurons  and  their  missionaries  were  the 
most  sorely  tried.  In  1647  o"^  of  their  towns  was  utterly 
destroyed,  with  all  its  inhabitants.  The  Iroquois  made 
the  whole  country  one  vast  ruin.  Fathers  de  Brebeuf, 
Gabriel  Lalemant,  Charles  Garnier,  Anthony  Daniel,  per- 
ished by  their  hands,  as  well  as  a  great  number  of  their 
converts.     But   those  days  of  misfortune  w^ere  days  of 


His  Power  fill  Intercessioji.  2 1 9 

triumph  for  the  Faith:  in  the  school  of  adversity  man  of- 
ten learns  wisdom.  The  Hurons  in  great  numbers  be- 
sought the  boon  of  baptism.  The}-  acknowledged  in  the 
trials  of  adversity  the  chastisement  due  to  their  long  and 
culpable  resistance  to  grace.  In  their  truly  Christian 
resignation  they  displayed  a  courage  and  an  energy  of 
character  which  will  stand  higher  even  than  their  war- 
like exploits  as  their  strongest  title  to  glory. 

When  the  missionaries  were  at  last  able  to  enter  the 
Iroquois  cantons  they  found  the  memory  of  the  servant 
of  God  still  fresh  in  the  minds  of  the  tribe,  and  they  more 
than  once  experienced  in  a  sensible  manner  the  effect  of 
his  powerful  protection. 

Father  James  de  Lamberville,  one  of  the  apostles  of  the 
Iroquois,  himself  obtained  one  of  these  signal  favors  in 
behalf  of  a  sick  Iroquois.  His  relatives,  strongly  attached 
to  their  superstitions  and  renowned  for  their  fanaticism, 
had  employed  every  possible  practice  of  the  medicine- 
men to  obtain  his  recovery,  but  the  disease  kept  making 
alarming  progress.  The  missionary,  who  had  been  in- 
formed by  some  of  his  converts  of  the  man's  danger,  made 
ineffectual  efforts  to  reach  him.  In  this  extremity  he  in- 
voked Father  Jogues  to  have  the  obstacles  removed.  His 
prayer  was  not  in  vain.  He  had  scarcely  ended  his  invo- 
cation when  the  doors  so  obstinately  closed  against  him 
seemed  to  open  of  themselves.  The  patient  cheerfully 
welcomed  him,  and  showed  every  docility  to  his  instruc- 
tions. Grace  had  triumphed:  the  suitable  disposition  of 
the  dying  man  soon  rendered  him  fit  for  baptism.  On 
recovering  his  health  the  new  convert  showed  no  relaxa- 
tion, but  continued  faithful  to  his  death  (Relation,  1677). 

The  example  and  power  of  the  servant  of  God  bore 
happy  fruit  even  in  France.  Mother  Catharine  of  St. 
Augustine,  the  illustrious  Hospital  Nun  of  Quebec,  whose 
wonderful  life  was  written  by  Father  Ragueneau,  was 
indebted  to  Father  Jogues  for  her  vocation  to  Canada. 
She  became  a  novice  in  the  convent  at  Bayeux  at  the  age 


220  Life  of  Father  Jogues, 

of  fifteen,  but  had  already  an  ardent  desire  to  devote  her 
life  to  the  distant  missions  of  America,  and  tliis  desire 
was  shared  by  her  sister,  who  was  a  professed  Ursuline 
nun. 

But  their  parents,  especially  their  father,  Mr.  de  Long- 
pre,  opposed  it  so  positively  that  the  elder  sister  finally 
abandoned  the  project  entirely.  Not  so  Catharine.  Her 
father,  to  strengthen  his  refusal,  addressed  a  petition  to 
the  judicial  body,  the  "  Parlement,"  and  on  her  side 
Catharine  addressed  Heaven  in  her  behalf.  She  tri- 
umphed. The  Relation  of  the  Canada  Missions  which 
described  the  labors,  the  sufferings,  and  death  of  Father 
Jogues  had  just  reached  France.  It  fell  into  the  hands 
of  Mr.  de  Longpre,  who  read  it  with  the  liveliest  interest. 
The  next  night  he  felt  himself  very  strongly  moved  to 
yield  to  his  daughter's  wishes,  so  that  on  awakening  he 
felt  his  heart  entirely  changed.  At  that  very  moment, 
and  in  the  same  manner,  his  wife,  who  was  then  at  a  con- 
siderable distance,  experienced  the  same  change.  It  was 
a  warning  of  Heaven;  they  did  not  wish  to  incur  the  re- 
proach of  resisting  the  will  of  God,  and  gave  their  daugh- 
ter the  consent  which  she  awaited. 

A  cure,  which  seems  miraculous,  occurred  some  years 
afterwards  in  a  community  at  Poitiers.  A  pious  object 
which  had  been  used  by  Father  Jogues  was  preserved 
there.  One  of  the  nuns,  named  Mary  Prevosterie,  owed 
her  life  to  it.  The  opening  of  a  large  abscess  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  malignant  fever  of  the  worst  type.  The  pain 
became  acute,  and  in  a  short  time  intolerable.  Recol- 
lecting then  the  relic  of  Father  Jogues,  she  implored  the 
Superior  to  lay  it  on  her  wound.  At  the  first  instant  the 
pain  increased  considerably,  then  itsuddenl)"  ceased,  and 
the  sick  nun  was  completely  cured.  The  next  year,  at 
the  same  time  and  under  the  same  circumstances,  the 
disease  reappeared.  The  nun  remembered  the  benefit 
that  she  had  received,  but  reproached  herself  with  not 
having  been  sufficiently  grateful  to  her  benefactor.     She 


His  Poiucrfztl  Inlercession.  2  2 1 

had  recourse  to  him  again,  promising  to  make  known,  as 
well  as  she  could,  the  favor  if  she  recovered.  Her  prayer 
was  again  heard,  and  she  obtained  an  immediate  restora- 
tion. An  authentic  act  was  immediately  drawn  up,  with 
the  approbation  of  the  Bishop,  and  was  preserved  in  the 
Archives  of  the  Jesuits  at  Paris.* 


*Creiixius,  "  Historia  Canadensis,"  p.  499;  Cassani,  "  Glorias  del 
segundo  siglo  de  la  Compania  de  Jesus." 


22  2  Life  of  Rend  Goupil. 


RENE    GOUPIL  AND   HIS  HEROIC 
DEATH. 

Translated  from  the  Autograph  of  Father  Jogues. 

"Rene  Goupil  was  a  native  of  Angers,  who,  in  the 
bloom  of  life,  earnestly  asked  admission  into  our  noviti- 
ate at  Paris,  where  he  remained  some  months  with  great 
edification.  His  bodily  ailments  having  deprived  him  of 
the  happiness  of  consecrating  himself  in  the  holy  state  of 
religion  as  he  had  wished,  he  crossed  over  to  New  France, 
as  soon  as  he  grew  better,  to  serve  the  Society  there,  as 
he  had  not  had  the  happiness  of  giving  himself  to  it  in 
the  Old.  And  to  do  nothing  of  his  own  will,  though 
perfect  master  of  his  actions,  he  submitted  himself  en- 
tirely to  the  direction  of  the  Superior  of  the  Mission,  who 
employed  him  for  two  whole  j^ears  in  the  meanest  em- 
ployments of  the  house,  which  he  discharged  with  great 
humility  and  charity.  They  also  gave  him  the  care  of 
tending  the  sick  and  wounded  in  the  hospital,  a  post  he 
filled  with  great  ability,  for  he  was  well  skilled  in  sur- 
gery, and  with  equal  love  and  charity  always  beholding 
our  Lord  in  the  person  of  his  patients.  So  sweet  an 
odor  of  his  goodness  and  other  virtues  did  he  leave  in 
that  place,  that  his  memory  is  still  in  benediction  there. 

"As  we  descended  from  the  Hurons  in  July,  1642,  we 
asked  the  Rev.  Father  Vimont  to  let  us  take  him,  as  the 
Hurons  greatly  needed  a  surgeon,  and  he  consented.  It 
were  impossible  to  express  the  joy  of  this  good  young 
man  when  the  Superior  told  him  to  prepare  for  the  voy- 
age.    He  knew,  withal,  the  great  dangers  on  the  river; 


Life  of  Rend  Gotipil.  223 

he  knew  how  furious  the  Iroquois  were  against  the 
French:  yet  all  jihis  could  not  deter  him  from  embark- 
ing for  Three  Rivers,  at  the  slightest  sign  of  His  will, 
to  whom  he  had  voluntarily  resigned  all  that  concerned 
him. 

"  We  left  there  (Three  Rivers)  on  the  first  of  August, 
the  morrow  of  the  Feast  of  our  Holy  Father.  On  the 
second,  we  met  the  enemy,  who,  divided  into  two  bands, 
awaited  us,  with  all  the  advantage  which  a  large  number 
of  picked  men,  fighting  on  land,  can  have  over  a  smaller 
one  of  all  kinds  on  the  water  in  bark  canoes. 

"  Almost  all  the  Hurons  had  fled  into  the  woods,  and, 
having  left  us,  we  were  taken.  Here  his  virtue  was 
strikingly  displayed;  for  as  soon  as  he  was  taken,  he 
said,  '  Father  !  blessed  be  God,  He  has  permitted  it;  He 
has  wished  it;  His  holy  will  be  done!  I  love  it,  I  wish  it, 
I  cherish  it,  I  embrace  it  with  all  my  heart.'  While  the 
enemy  pursued  the  fugitives,  I  confessed  him  and  gave 
him  absolution,  not  knowing  what  was  to  befall  us  after 
our  capture.  The  enemy,  having  returned  from  the  chase, 
fell  on  us  with  their  teeth,  like  furious  dogs,  tore  out  our 
nails  and  crunched  our  fingers,  all  which  he  endured-  with 
great  patience  and  courage. 

"His  presence  of  mind  in  so  distressing  an  accident 
was  shown  specially  in  his  aiding  me,  in  spite  of  the  pain 
of  his  wounds,  in  instructing,  as  far  as  he  could,  the 
Huron  prisoners  who  were  not  yet  Christians.  As  I  was 
instructing  them  separately,  and  as  they  came  to  me,  he 
reminded  me  that  a  poor  old  man  named  Ondouterraon 
might  well  be  one  of  those  to  be  killed  on  the  spot,  it 
being  then  the  custom  always  to  sacrifice  some  one  to 
the  heat  of  their  rage.  I  instructed  this  old  man  care- 
fully while  the  enemy  were  busied  with  the  division  of 
the  booty  of  twelve  canoes,  a  part  of  which  were  laden 
with  necessaries  for  our  Huron  Fathers.  The  spoil  be- 
ing divided,  they  killed  the  poor  old  man  almost  at  the 
very  moment  when  I  had  given  him  a  new  birth.     Dur- 


224  Life  of  RenS  GoupiL 

ing  our  march  to  the  enemy's  country  we  had  the  addi- 
tional consolation  of  being  together;  and  here  I  witnessed 
many  virtues. 

"  On  the  way  he  was  always  absorbed  in  God.  His 
words  and  conversation  were  all  in  perfect  submissive- 
ness  to  the  orders  of  Divine  Providence  and  a  voluntary 
acceptance  of  the  death  which  God  sent  him.  He  offered 
himself  to  Him  as  a  holocaust,  to  be  reduced  to  ashes  in 
the  fires  of  the  Iroquois,  which  that  good  Father  should 
enkindle.  In  all,  and  by  all,  he  sought  means  to  please 
Him.  One  day — it  was  soon  after  our  capture — he  told 
me,  while  still  on  the  way,  '  Father  !  God  has  always 
given  me  a  great  desire  to  consecrate  myself  to  His  holy 
service  by  the  vows  of  religion  in  His  holy  Society;  till 
now,  my  sins  have  rendered  me  unworthy  of  this  grace; 
yet  I  hope  that  our  Lord  will  accept  the  offering  I  wish 
to  make  Him  now,  and  to  take,  in  the  best  manner  that  I 
can,  the  vows  of  the  Society,  in  the  presence  of  my  God 
and  before  you.'  Having  permitted  him,  he  pronounced 
them  with  great  devotion. 

*' Wounded  as  he  was,  he  dressed  the  wounds  of  others, 
not  only  of  the  prisoners,  but  even  of  such  of  the  enemy 
as  had  received  any  wound  in  the  combat.  He  also  bled 
a  sick  Iroquois,  and  did  all  with  as  much  charity  as  if  he 
were  doing  it  to  his  dearest  friends. 

"His  humility  and  the  obedience  he  paid  to  his  cap- 
tors confounded  me.  The  Iroquois,  who  had  us  both  in 
their  canoe,  told  me  to  take  a  paddle  and  use  it.  Proud 
even  in  death,  I  would  not.  Some  time  after,  they  told 
him  to  do  it,  and  he  immediately  began  to  paddle;  but 
when  he  perceived  that  the  Indians  wished  to  compel  me 
to  do  so  after  his  example,  he  begged  my  pardon.  At 
times,  on  the  way,  I  suggested  to  him  thoughts  of  flight, 
as  the  liberty  given  us  afforded  him  abundant  oppor- 
tunity. For  my  own  part,  I  could  not  forsake  a  French- 
man and  twenty-four  or  five  Huron  prisoners.    He  would 


Life  of  Re  lie  Goicpil.  225 

never  do  it,  resigning  himself  entirely  to  the  will  of  our 
Lord,  who  inspired  him  with  no  such  thought. 

''On  the  Lake  (Champlain)  we  met  two  hundred  Iro- 
quois, who  came  to  Richelieu  when  they  began  to  build 
the  fort;  they  covered  us  with  stripes,  drenched  us  in 
blood,  and  made  us  experience  the  rage  of  men  possessed 
by  the  devil.  All  these  outrages  and  cruelties  he  en- 
dured with  great  patience  and  charity  for  those  who  ill- 
treated  him. 

"  On  entering  the  first  town  where  we  were  so  cruelly 
treated,  he  showed  extraordinary  patience  and  mildness. 
Having  fallen  under  the  hail  of  blows  of  clubs  and  iron 
rods  poured  on  us,  and  unable  to  rise,  he  was  carried,  as 
it  were,  half-dead  on  the  scaffold,  where  we  were  already^ 
in  the  middle  of  the  town,  but  in  so  pitiable  a  state  that 
he  would  have  moved  cruelty  itself  to  compassion:  he 
was  all  livid  with  bruises,  and  in  his  face  we  could  dis- 
tinguish nothing  but  the  white  of  his  eyes;  yet  he  was 
the  more  beautiful  in  the  eyes  of  angels  as  he  was  more 
disfigured;  and  like  Him  of  whom  it  is  said,  'We  have 
seen  Him  as  a  leper,'  etc.;  'There  was  in  Him  neither 
comeliness  nor  beauty'  (Isaias  liii.  24). 

"  Scarcely  had  he,  or  even  we,  recovered  breath,  when 
they  came  and  gave  him  three  blows  on  the  shoulders 
with  a  heavy  club,  as  they  had  done  to  uSc  After  cut- 
ting off  a  thumb  from  me  as  the  most  important,  they 
turned  to  him  and  cut  off  his  right  thumb  at  the  first 
joint.  During  this  cruel  operation  he  constantly  re- 
peated, 'Jesus,  Mary,  Joseph.'  During  the  six  days  that 
we  were  exposed  to  all  those  who  chose  to  maltreat  us, 
he  displayed  extraordinary  mildness;  his  breast  was  all 
burned  by  the  live  coals  and  ashes  which  the  boys  threw 
on  his  body  when  he  was  tied  down  on  the  ground  at 
night.  Nature  gave  me  more  dexterity  than  him  in 
escaping  some  of  these  pains. 

"After  our  life  was  granted  us,  just  after  we  had  been 
warned  to  prepare  to  be  burned,  he  fell   sick  in  great 


226  Life  of  Rene  Goupil. 

want  of  everything,  especially  of  food,  for  he  was  not 
accustomed  to  theirs.  Here  truly  it  may  be  said,  ^  Non 
cibus  utilis  (Bgro.'*  I  could  not  relieve  him,  being  also 
sick,  and  not  having  one  finger  sound  or  whole. 

"But  I  must  hasten  to  his  death,  which  wants  nothing 
to  be  that  of  a  martyr. 

"After  we  had  been  six  weeks  in  the  country,  as  con- 
fusion arose  in  the  councils  of  the  Iroquois,  some  of  whom 
were  for  sending  us  back,  we  lost  all  hope,  which  in  me 
had  never  been  sanguine,  of  seeing  Three  Rivers  that 
year.  We  consoled  one  another  then  at  this  disposal  of 
Providence,  and  prepared  for  all  He  should  ordain  in  our 
regard.  He  did  not  see  the  danger  we  were  in  so  clearly: 
I  saw  it  better.  This  made  me  often  tell  him  to  hold 
himself  in  readiness.  Accordingly,  one  day  when  in  our 
mental  pain  we  had  gone  out  of  the  town  to  pray  more 
becomingly  and  undisturbed  by  noise,  two  young  men 
came  after  us  and  told  us  to  return  home.  I  had  some 
presentiment  of  what  was  to  happen,  and  told  him,  *My 
dear  brother,  let  us  recommend  ourselves  to  our  Lord 
and  to  our  good  mother  the  Blessed  Virgin:  these  men 
have  some  evil  design,  as  I  think.'  We  had  a  little  before 
offered  ourselves  to  our  Lord  with  much  devotion,  be- 
seeching Him  to  accept  our  lives  and  blood,  and  unite 
them  to  His  life  and  blood  for  the  salvation  of  these  poor 
tribes.  We  were  returning  then  towards  the  town,  recit- 
ing our  beads,  of  which  we  had  already  said  four  decades. 
Having  stopped  near  the  gate  of  the  town  to  see  what 
they  would  say,  one  of  these  two  Iroquois  drew  an  axe 
which  he  had  hidden  under  his  blanket,  and  dealt  Rene 
a  blow  on  the  head  as  he  stood  before  him;  he  fell  stiff 
on  his  face  on  the  ground,  uttering  the  holy  name  of 
Jesus,  for  we  had  often  reminded  each  other  to  close  our 
voice  and  life  with  that  holy  name.    I  turned  at  the  blow, 


*  "  Food  is  not  useful  to  the  sick." 


Life  of  Rend  Goiipil.  227 

and  seeing  the  reeking  hatchet,  fell  on  my  knees  to  re- 
ceive the  blow  that  was  to  unite  me  to  my  loved  com- 
panion; but  as  they  delayed  I  rose,  ran  to  him,  as  he  lay 
expiring  near  me.     They  gave  him  two  more  blows  on 
the  head   and   extinguished   life,  but   not  before   I    had 
given  him  absolution,  which,  since  our  captivity,  I  had 
given  him  regularly  after  his  confession  every  other  day. 
"  It  was  the  [29th]  day  of  September,  the  Feast  of  St. 
Michael,   that   this   angel   in   innocence    and   martyr   of 
Christ  gave  his  life  for  Him  who  had  given  him   His. 
They  commanded  me  to  return  to  my  cabin,  where   I 
awaited  during  the  rest  of  the  day  and  the  next  the  same 
treatment.    It  was  the  belief  of  all  that  I  would  not  wait 
long,  as  they  had  begun  it;  and  in  fact  for  several  days 
they  came  to  kill  me,  but  our  Lord  prevented  it  by  ways 
which  would  take  long  to  explain.     Early  the  next  morn- 
ing I  did  not  fail  to  start  out  to  inquire  where  they  had 
thrown  that  blessed  body,  for  I  wished  to  inter  it,  cost 
what  it  might.     Some  Iroquois  who  had  a  wish  to  save 
me  said,  'Thou  hast  no  sense;  thou  seest  that  they  seek 
thee  everywhere  to  kill  thee,  and  thou  goest  out  still — 
thou  wilt  go  to  seek  a  body  already  half  putrified,  which 
has  been  dragged  far  from  here.     Seest  thou  not  those 
young  men  going  out  who  will  kill  thee  when  thou  art 
past  the  palisade  ?'     This  did  not  stop  me,  and  our  Lord 
gave  me  courage  enough  to  be  willing  to  die  in  that  office 
of  charity.    I  go,  I  seek,  and  by  the  help  of  a  captured 
Algonquin  become  a  real  Iroquois,  I  find  it.    After  he  had 
been  killed  the  children  had  stripped  him,  and  tying  a 
cord  around  his  neck  dragged  him  to  a  torrent  which 
runs   at   the   foot  of  the  town.     The  dogs  had  already 
gnawed  a  part  of  his  thighs.     At  this  spectacle  I  could 
not  withhold  my  tears.     1  took  the  body,  and,  aided  by 
the  Algonquin,  I  sank  it  in  the  water  and  covered  it  with 
large  stones  to  hide  it,  intending  to  return  the  next  day 
with  a  spade,  when  there  was  no  one  near,  and  dig  a 
grave  and  inter  it.     I  thought  the  body  well  hidden,  but 


228  Life  of  Rene  GoupiL 

perhaps  some  one  saw  us,  especially  of  the  youth,  and 
took  it  up. 

"The  next  day,  as  they  sought  to  kill  me,  my  aunt  sent 
me  to  her  field  to  escape,  as  I  think;  this  compelled  me 
to  defer  it  till  the  next  day.  It  rained  all  night,  so  that 
the  torrent  was  extremely  swelled;  I  borrowed  a  hoe  in 
another  cabin,  the  better  to  conceal  my  design,  but  on 
approaching  the  place  could  not  find  the  blessed  deposit; 
I  entered  the  water,  already  quite  cold,  I  go  and  come,  I 
sound  with  my  feet  to  see  whether  the  water  had  not 
raised  and  carried  off  the  body,  but  I  saw  nothing.  How 
many  tears  I  shed,  which  fell  in  the  torrent,  while  I  sang 
as  I  could  the  psalms  which  the  Church  chants  for  the 
dead!  After  all  I  found  nothing,  and  a  woman  known 
to  me  who  passed  by,  seeing  me  in  trouble,  told  me,  when 
I  asked  her  whether  she  did  not  know  what  had  been 
done  with  it,  that  it  had  been  dragged  to  the  river,  which 
is  a  quarter  of  a  league  from  there,  and  with  which  I  was 
not  acquainted.  This  was  false,  the  young  men  had  taken 
it  up  and  dragged  it  to  a  neighboring  wood,  where  dur- 
ing the  fall  and  winter  it  was  the  food  of  the  dog,  the 
crow,  and  the  fox.  When  I  was  told  in  the  spring  that 
he  had  been  dragged  there,  I  went  several  times  without 
finding  anything;  at  last,  the  fourth  time,  I  found  his 
head  and  some  half-gnawed  bones,  which  I  interred,  in- 
tending to  carry  them  off,  if  taken  back  to  Three  Rivers, 
as  was  then  talked  of.  Repeatedly  did  I  kiss  them  as 
the  bones  of  a  martyr  of  Jesus  Christ. 

"I  give  him  this  title,  not  only  because  he  was  killed 
by  the  enemies  of  God  and  His  Church,  in  the  exercise  of 
an  ardent  love  for  his  neighbor,  putting  himself  in  evi- 
dent perils  for  the  love  of  God,  but  particularly  because 
he  was  Icilled  for  prayer,  and  expressly  for  the  Holy 
Cross.  He  was  in  a  cabin  where  he  prayed  daily,  which 
scarcely  pleased  a  superstitious  old  man  there.  One  day 
seeing  a  little  child,  three  or  four  years  old,  in  the  cabin, 
from  an  excess  of  devotion  and  a  love  of  the  cross,  and 


Life  of  Rcnc^  GoupiL  229 

in  a  simplicity  which  we,  who  are  more  prudent  accord- 
ing to  the  flesh,  would  not  have  had,  he  took  off  his  cap, 
and  putting  it  on  the  child's  head  made  the  sign  of  the 
cross  on  his  body.  The  old  man  seeing  it  ordered  a 
young  man  in  his  cabin,  who  was  starting  on  a  war- 
party,  to  kill  him;  and  he  obeyed  the  order,  as  we  have 
seen. 

"The  mother  of  the  child  herself,  in  a  voyage  which  I 
made  with  her,  told  me  that  he  had  been  killed  for  that 
sign  of  the  cross;  and  the  old  man  who  had  given  the 
order  to  kill  him  invited  me  one  day  to  his  cabin  to  din- 
ner, but  when  I  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  before  begin- 
ning, he  said,  'There  is  what  we  hate;  that  is' what  we 
killed  thy  comrade  for,  and  will  kill  thee  too.  Our 
neighbors,  the  Europeans,  do  not  make  it.'  Sometimes, 
too,  as  I  prayed  on  my  knees  in  hunting  time,  they  told 
me  that  they  hated  that  way  of  doing,  and  had  killed 
the  other  Frenchman  for  it,  and  would  kill  me  too  when 
I  got  back  to  the  village. 

"  I  beg  pardon  of  your  Reverence  for  the  precipitation 
with  which  I  write  this,  and  my  want  of  respect  in  so 
doing.  Excuse  me,  if  you  please;  I  feared  to  miss  this 
opportunity  of  discharging  a  debt  I  should  long  since 
have  discharged." 


2 30  Life  of  Father  Jogites. 


APPENDIX. 

A. 

Geography  of  the  Huron  Country.     Page  30. 

|HE  Huron  country,  which  was  eighteen  to  twenty 
miles  wide  by  twenty-five  to  thirty-seven  miles  long, 
lay  between  latitude  40°  and  45°  N.  and  longitude  82° 
30'  and  83°  W.  To  complete  the  geography,  we  ought  to 
give  the  position  of  the  chief  towns,  but  they  have  left 
no  trace.  With  their  bark  cabins  and  wooden  palisades, 
the  Indians  made  no  permanent  foundations.  The  rav- 
ages of  fire  or  time  sufficed  to  sweep  away  all  but  the 
faintest  vestiges.  The  only  ruins  to  be  found  are  those 
of  the  two  forts  erected  by  the  missionaries — one  at  St. 
Mary,  the  other  on  Isle  St.  Joseph. 

Only  one  ancient  map  lays  down  the  Huron  villages. 
This  is  a  little  plan  in  the  corner  of  a  large  map  in  a 
work  by  Father  Ducreux  (Creuxius,  "  Historia  Canaden- 
sis," 1660).  This  work — which  Father  Charlevoix  seems 
not  to  have  known  or  to  have  disregarded  when  he  adopt- 
ed the  m  aps  of  Bellin,  which  are  very  defective  on  this  point 
— did  not  escape  the  learned  American  historian  Dr.  Jared 
Sparks  of  Cambridge.  He  was  the  first  to  call  attention 
to  its  importance.  Though  without  a  scale,  and  show- 
ing that  the  engraver  misread  several  names,  it  is  of  great 
aid  in  identifying  the  relative  position  of  the  impor- 
tant villages.  By  its  help  and  the  information  scattered 
through  the  "  Relations  de  la  Nouvelle  France,"  and  ex- 
plorations made  on  the  spot,  we  have  endeavored  to  fix 
the  position  of  some  of  these  towns. 


Appendix.  231 

1.  Ihonatiria,  or  St.  Joseph  (called  also  Ihoriatiria,  Re- 
lation 1640,  and  Jonatari  in  Charlevoix)  had  replaced 
Otonacha,  Champlain's  landing-place.  The  old  name,  too, 
had  variations — Toanchen  in  Sagard;  Toanche,  Toachim, 
and  Teandeouiata  in  Father  de  Brebeuf.  The  Recollects 
called  it  St.  Nicholas  and  the  port  St.  Joseph.  It  was 
on  a  point  running  out  into  Lake  Huron,  about  seven 
and  a  half  miles  from  St.  Mary,  ten  from  Ossossane,  and 
about  seventeen  from  Teanaustayae.  From  it  a  large 
island  was  visible  on  the  lake.  These  data  seem  to  in- 
dicate the  west  entrance  of  what  is  now  called  Penetan- 
guishene  Bay. 

2.  Ossossane,  which  Champlain  calls  Caragouha,  and 
Brother  Sagard  Tequeunonkiae,  also  bore  the  name  of  St. 
Gabriel  (Sagard).  Ducreux's  map  places  this  town  on 
the  west  side  of  the  Huron  peninsula,  and  there  is  a 
little  isolated  promontory  there  which  corresponds  to  all 
the  historical  references. 

3.  Teanaustayae,  Teanosteae  (Register  of  Three  Riv- 
ers), received  the  name  of  St.  Joseph  in  1638,  when 
the  village  of  Ihonatiria  dispersed.  This  is  the  place 
where  Father  Daniel  perished  in  1648,  with  seven  hun- 
dred Hurons.  Ducreux's  map  and  historical  references 
seem  to  indicate  as  its  site  a  point  now  called  Irish  Set- 
tlement, in  the  north  of  Medonte  district.  Traces  of  a 
large  Indian  town,  and  especially  fragments  of  coarse 
pottery,  are  found  here. 

4.  Cahiague  (Champlain)  or  Contarea  (Father  de  Bre- 
beuf) was  called  St.  John  the  Baptist.  This  village  con- 
tained two  hundred  and  sixty  cabins,  which  would  rep- 
resent nearly  two  thousand  souls.  It  was  near  the  large 
Lake  Ouentaron,  now  Simcoe,  and  another  smaller  lake. 
It  was  the  frontier  Huron  town  on  the  east.  Champlain 
set  out  from  it  to  attack  the  Iroquois  in  their  own  coun- 
try. Its  position  must  have  been  north  of  Lake  Simcoe, 
near  the  town  of  Orillia. 

5.  St.   Louis  was  of  recent  origin   in   1648;  no   Indian 


232  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

name  is  given  for  it  in  the  Relations.  It  was  only  two 
miles  and  a  half  from  St.  Mary,  and  near  the  mouth  of 
the  little  river  which  empties  into  a  neighboring  bay,  now 
called  Hog  Bay.  It  was  in  this  village  that  Father  de  Bre- 
beuf  and  Father  Gabriel  Lalemant  were  captured  by  the 
Iroquois  in  1649,  but  they  were  put  to  death  in  the  vil- 
lage of  St.  Ignatius,  about  two  and  a  half  miles  distant. 

6.  There  were  two  villages  called  St.  Ignatius — the 
one  just  mentioned,  about  five  miles  from  St.  Mary; 
the  other,  known  in  Indian  as  Taenhatentaron,  was 
near  the  Iroquois  frontier,  between  Teanaustayae  and  Ca- 
hiague.  We  are  inclined  to  think  that  its  site  was  on 
Lot  20,  Concession  10,  of  the  present  district  of  Medonte. 
Many  Indian  remains  have  been  found  there,  pipes  of 
various  kinds,  collars  of  all  varieties,  fragments  of  ves- 
sels, and  more  than  two  hundred  iron  hatchets  of  French 
make.  We  visited  near  it  one  of  the  great  Huron  graves, 
such  as  Father  de  Brebeuf  describes  in  detail  in  the  Re- 
lations. It  is  a  great  circular  pit  about  five  yards  in 
diameter,  in  which  great  numbers  of  bones  are  still  to 
be  seen.  When  it  was  discovered  in  1844,  kettles,  pipes, 
collars,  fragments  of  peltry, — the  usual  articles  used  in 
these  solemn  burials, — were  found  there.  This  town  was 
abandoned  from  fear  of  the  Iroquois  and  removed  nearer 
St.  Mary,  in  1648,  as  we  have  said.  It  is  the  one  shown  on 
Ducreux's  map,  on  what  is  now  called  Sturgeon  Bay. 

7.  St.  Mary  was  not  an  Indian  town,  but  a  residence 
for  the  missionaries  and  the  French.  There  is  no  doubt 
as  to  its  site.  Ducreux's  map  and  the  details  given  in 
the  Relations,  point  clearly  enough  to  the  right  bank  of  a 
little  river,  now  called  the  Wye,  east  of  the  present  vil- 
lage of  Penetanguishene.  What  is  more,  the  ruins  still 
exist.  The  fort  erected  by  the  missionaries  more  than 
two  hundred  years  ago  (1639)  is  still  traceable,  and  we 
drew  a  plan  of  it.  The  stone  walls  are  still  more  than 
three  feet  above  ground.  The  curtains  on  the  east  and 
northeast   and    the  four    bastions    were   of    stone  ;  the 


Appendix.  233 

other  two  curtains  were  doubtless  formed  of  stout  pali- 
sades. The  square  base  connected  with  the  south  bastion 
probably  supported  a  tower  from  which  the  approaches 
could  easily  be  seen. 

The  traces  and  dimensions  of  the  ditch  surrounding 
the  fort,  and  which  could  receive  the  water  of  the  river, 
and  canoes,  are  still  clearly  visible.  Three  little  basins, 
which  may  have  been  shelters  or  landing-places,  are  also 
to  be  seen.  On  the  south  an  inclosure,  in  form  of  a  redan, 
defended  by  a  ditch  and  parapet  of  earth,  in  all  probabil- 
ity was  used  by  travelling  Hurons  to  pitch  their  cabins. 
By  digging  the-  ground  within  the  fort,  we  found  at  a 
depth  of  some  two  feet  traces  of  the  fire  kindled  by  the 
missionaries  in  1649,  when  they  were  compelled  to  fly 
with  their  converts  before  the  Iroquois  invasion.  This 
fort  contained  the  chapel  and  house  for  the  missionaries 
and  the  French,  as  well  as  the  storehouses  for  provi- 
sions; but  outside  there  was  a  cemetery  for  Christian  In- 
dians, and  a  small  field  for  cultivation.  South  of  the  fort, 
in  the  redan  rose  a  large  cabin  for  pilgrims  and  a  hos- 
pice for  the  sick.  "  This  hospital,"  adds  Father  Jerome 
Lalemant,  "  is  so  separated  from  our  dwelling,  that  not 
only  men  and  boys,  but  also  women  can  be  admitted." 

8.  Isle  St.  Joseph  (in  Huron,  Ahoendoe,  now  Charity 
Island)  lies  northeast  of  the  Huron  peninsula.  After  de- 
stroying St.  Mary  on  the  Wye,  the  missionaries  threw  up 
a  regular  fort  on  the  southwest  side  of  the  island,  and 
gave  it  the  name  of  St.  Mary.  The  ruins  still  remain  in 
the  midst  of  the  woods. 


B. 

Stephen  Totiri.     Page  69. 

Stephen  Totiri  is  one  of  the  glories  of  the  Huron 
Church.  His  family  resided  in  the  town  of  St.  Joseph 
(Teanaustayae),  of  which  he  was  the  model.     He  was  ono 


234  Life  of  Fat  her  Jogues. 

of  those  taken  with  Father  Jogues;  but  having  eluded 
the  vigilance  of  the  Iroquois,  he  escaped,  and  returned 
to  his  own  country  to  proclaim  the  Faith.  He  was  poor, 
because  all  he  owned  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy;  but  this  mattered  little,  and  he  made  an  offering 
of  it  to  God.  The  first  news  which  Stephen  heard  on 
his  return  was  that  his  mother,  Christine  Sarihia,  whom 
he  loved  deeply,  had  died.  He  asked  whether  she 
breathed  her  last  as  a  good  Christian,  and  on  learning 
that  she  had  died  in  the  most  pious  sentiments,  he 
clasped  his  hands,  and  raising  his  eyes  to  heaven, 
said,  "  My  God,  who  can  mourn  ?  She  is  happy,  she  can 
never  more  offend  Thee.  Provided  I  and  mine  die  in  the 
Faith,  I  cannot  regret  this  life  for  them  or  for  me.  Breth- 
ren, let  us  say  no  more  of  what  I  have  lost,  but  let  us 
think  of  the  great  blessings  which  await  us  in  heaven. 
Your  tears  and  mine  will  be  turned  into  joy,  and  the 
heathens  will  know  by  our  faces  that  we  have  faith  and 
the  hope  of  heaven  in  our  hearts.  Let  us  go  into  the 
chapel  and  praise  God." 

Stephen  was  a  Christian  in  1641  when  the  missionaries 
wished  to  establish  a  residence  in  his  village.  He  had 
offered  half  his  cabin  for  a  chapel,  and  the  first  Mass  was 
said  there  on  the  19th  of  March,  the  Feast  of  St.  Joseph. 
The  sacrifice  which  he  had  made  was  an  honor  in  his 
eyes,  and  drew  upon  him  many  graces  from  heaven.  He 
received  especially  grace  to  profess  his  faith:  it  was  rea- 
sonable, resting  on  solid  instruction.  When  the  mis- 
sionaries were  absent,  he  and  his  wife  instructed  the 
catechumens  of  both  sexes  in  Christian  doctrine,  and  dis- 
charged this  duty  remarkably  well.  This  chapel  from 
time  to  time  drew  upon  him  insults  and  threats.  The 
heathen  party  wished  to  force  him  from  it  in  order  to 
destroy  it.  "I  will  leave  it,"  he  told  them,  ''but  only 
when  the  missionaries  who  instruct  us  themselves  leave 
the  town,  and  then  it  will  be  to  follow  them  wherever 
they  go.     I  am  more  attached  to  them  than  I  am  to  my 


Appendix.  235 

country  and  kindred,  for  they  bring  us  the  words  of  eter- 
nal happiness.  My  soul  does  not  depend  on  my  body: 
a  moment  can  separate  them;  but  you  will  never  deprive 
me  of  the  Faith. 

In  1643  the  calumnies  and  hatred  of  the  heathens  in 
the  town  assumed  a  more  threatening  character,  because 
they  saw  their  most  important  men  side  with  the  mis- 
sionaries and  embrace  the  "  Prayer."  The  Christians 
held  a  meeting  to  concert  steps  to  meet  the  storm. 
Stephen,  as  one  of  the  leading  chiefs,  presided.  Each 
one  gave  his  advice;  but  the  unanimous  opinion  coun- 
selled patience  and  resignation.  At  last  Stephen  Totiri 
summed  up  the  discussion,  and  put  the  result  in  a  few 
words,  which  showed  his  faith  :  ''  Brethren,  since  you 
regard  me  as  chief,  this  is  the  thought  which  God  sug- 
gests to  me:   Let  us  fear  nothing  but  sin." 

The  missionaries  saw  in  1644  that  they  could  not, 
on  account  of  their  scanty  number,  continue  the  mission 
which  they  had  begun  among  the  Neutral  Nation.* 
Stephen  wished  to  do  something  by  visiting  the  tribe 
with  his  brother  Paul:  they  showed  wonderful  zeal,  and 
met  with  great  success.  Their  rosaries,  worn  around 
their  necks,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  more  fervent 
Christians,  attracted  attention,  excited  curiosity,  and  en- 
abled them  to  explain  our  doctrine  and  praise  the 
"  Prayer." 

Human  respect  had  no  hold  on  this  energetic  man:  in 
1646  an  unfortunate  Iroquois  prisoner  went  through  all 
the  horrors  of  the  stake  in  his  village.  The  idea  that  he 
was  going  to  die  a  heathen  roused  Stephen's  zeal.  Unable 
to  preserve  his  body  from  torture,  he  wished  at  least  to  try 
and  save  his  soul,  and  he  undertook  to  instruct  him.    He 


*  The  Neutral  Nation  owed  this  name  among  the  French  to  its  at- 
titude in  the  war  between  the  Iroquois  and  Hurons.  It  took  no  part 
in  that  fierce  struggle  between  the  two  nations,  leaving  free  passage 
to  both  parties  through  its  territory,  but  not  permitting  any  fighting 
there. 


236  Life  of  Father  Jogties. 

alone  had  no  firebrand  or  murderous  implement  in  his 
hand.  "  Fear  not,"  he  said,  approaching  the  victim;  "  I 
wish  only  your  good.  You  are  about  to  die,  it  is  true; 
if  you  will  invoke  with  me  my  God,  the  Master  of  Life, 
Him  who  created  us  and  wishes  to  make  us  happy,  your 
soul  will  be  able  to  enjoy  happiness  in  another  world. 
Those  who  refuse  to  honor  Him  go  with  the  demons  to  suf- 
fer eternally."  These  words,  uttered  gently  and  with  con- 
viction, fell  like  a  soothing  balm  on  the  sufferings  of  the 
wretched  man.  "  I  have  heard  something  like  this  from 
Hurons  whom  we  have  burned,"  said  the  Iroquois;  "  they 
were  comforted  by  it  even  in  the  flames,  awaiting  the 
great  happiness  of  heaven.  Is  it  true  that  it  is  really 
so?"  Stephen  instructed  him  in  the  fundamental  truths 
of  religion,  and  found  a  heart  well  disposed  for  the  di- 
vine seed.  The  Iroquois  earnestly  solicited  baptism,  and 
Stephen,  braving  the  indignation  of  the  heathens,  who  in 
their  rage  wished  to  prolong  their  victim's  sufferings, 
even  after  death,  poured  the  saving  water  on  his  brow, 
and  heard  him  pronouncing,  till  his  last  sigh,  words  of 
consolation,  hope,  and  love. 

On  another  occasion  his  love  for  the  Faith  and  the  holy 
energy  of  his  zeal  excited  admiration.  Some  boys,  only 
too  apt  to  imitate  the  impiety  of  their  parents,  had  pelted 
with  stones  the  cross  which  had  just  been  erected  with 
great  ceremony  in  the  cemetery.  They  had  even  smeared 
filth  over  it. 

On  hearing  of  this  profanation  Stephen's  heart  was 
roused.  He  resolved  that  reparation  must  be  made,  and 
he  called  a  meeting  of  the  chiefs  for  the  purpose. 
When  evening  came  he  went  to  the  top  of  his  cabin, 
and  in  a  voice  of  thunder  raised  the  cry  customary  when 
an  enemy  is  seen  or  some  great  danger  menaces  a 
town.  The  warriors  all  gathered,  fully  armed.  "  Trem- 
ble, brethren,"  he  cried,  "  the  enemy  is  in  our  town.  The 
cemetery  of  the  Christians  has  been  profaned.  God  will 
take  vengeance.     Stop  your  children,  or  you  share  their 


Appendix.  237 

crime,  and  the  punishment  will  fall  on  all.  The  bodies 
of  the  dead  are  sacred  things,  and  the  heathens  them- 
selves respect  them.  No  one  would  touch  a  paddle  hung 
up  at  a  grave.  You  may  overturn  my  cabin,  strike  me, 
kill  me  rather;  but  when  the  things  of  God  are  assailed, 
I  wish,  as  long  as  I  have  a  breath  of  life,  to  proclaim  how 
enormous  a  crime  it  is,  and  I  will  tell  you  what  a  terri- 
ble thing  it  is  to  make  God  your  enemy." 

These    words    produced    their    effect  :     the    parents 
checked  the  insolence  and  impiety  of  their  children. 

C. 

Teresa  Oiouhaton.     Page  69. 

Teresa  Oiouhaton  was  the  daughter  of  a  fervent  Chris- 
tian, Joseph  Chiouatenhoua,  who  was  the  first  to  receive 
baptism  in  the  town  of  the  Conception.  He  became  a 
genuine  apostle  and  the  pillar  of  the  Mission,  which  he 
supported  with  all  the  ardor  of  the  most  disinterested 
zeal.  The  Iroquois  massacred  him  in  his  field,  in  a  raid 
which  they  made  into  the  Huron  territory  in  1640.  His 
brother,  Teondechoren,  who  knew  his  desire  to  send  his 
daughter  to  the  Ursulines  at  Quebec,  undertook  to  take 
her  there  some  time  after  her  father's  death.  While  at 
the  convent  she  noticed  that  the  nuns  every  year  retired 
apart  for  eight  days  and  spent  the  time  in  silence.  She 
wished  to  do  the  same  ;  having  noticed  a  grove  in  a  re- 
tired part  of  the  convent  grounds,  she  made  a  little  cabin 
of  branches  there,  where  she  spent  whole  days  without 
uttering  a  word.  The  curiosity  of  the  other  Indian  girls 
at  last  revealed  the  mystery  of  her  absence,  and  made 
known  her  retreat  by  destroying  its  charm. 

When  her  countrymen  came  to  Quebec  they  always 
visited  her  and  her  schoolmates:  it  was  her  pleasure  to 
act  as  interpreter  when  they  went  to  the  nuns  to  have 
them  repeat  their  catechism  and  prayers.  Two  of  these 
Hurons,  who  remained  the  whole  winter  in  the  town  were 


J 


8  Ltf^  of  Father'  Jogues. 


a  special  object  of  her  care.  One  of  them  a  few  days  be- 
fore his  baptism  wished  to  amuse  himself  at  her  expense, 
and  pretended  to  feel  doubt  and  uncertainty.  Said  he, 
"  I  cannot  bring  myself  to  believe  all  that  the  black- 
gown  teaches  me;  and  besides,  it  is  too  strict  a  doctrine: 
I  must  give  up  everything  I  like."  More  indignant  than 
grieved,  Teresa  forgot  her  youth  and  reproached  him 
sharply.  "  What  has  turned  your  head  ?"  she  cried. 
*' What  are  you  thinking  about?  Don't  you  see  that  you 
may  die  at  any  moment  ?  If  you  died  this  night  you 
would  go  to  the  demons  in  hell:  think  of  all  this,  and  re- 
turn quickly."  The  Indian  pretended  to  persist  in  his 
hesitation  and  indifference.  Teresa  began  to  cry.  Feeling 
that  she  had  exhausted  her  own  arguments,  she  ran  to 
the  nun  who  had  charge  of  the  neophytes.  ''He  is  lost," 
she  told  her  with  sobs;  "he  will  not  believe  in  God  any 
more,  or  obey  Him.  If  I  could  have  torn  down  the  grat- 
ing I  would  have  beaten  him." 

The  good  religious  endeavored  in  vain  to  persuade  her 
that  it  was  only  a  trick  and  pretence.  It  required  all  the 
influence  of  Father  de  Brebeuf,  who  was  then  at  Quebec, 
to  quiet  the  fears  of  this  good  soul  and  comfort  her. 

Teresa  could  read,  write,  and  speak  French.  Her 
country-people  were  amazed  at  her  learning,  and  flat- 
tered to  see  her  so  virtuous.  "These  good  Indians," 
says  Ven.  Mother  Mary  of  the  Incarnation,  "resemble 
religious,  they  are  so  fervent "  (Letter  25).  Her  uncle 
came  for  her  in  1642  ;  he  proposed  to  give  her  in  mar- 
riage, and  he  hoped  that  she  would  do  wonders  in  the 
Huron  country,  she  was  so  pious  and  accomplished.  The 
young  girl  wished  to  remain  with  her  teachers,  to  whom 
she  was  strongly  attached;  but  she  yielded  to  the  lesson 
which  Father  Jogues  gave  her  on  the  obedience  due  to 
parents.  She  set  out;  and  "by  means  of  our  friends," 
wrote  the  venerable  Superior  whom  we  have  just  cited, 
"we  provided  her  with  all  she  required  for  her  marriage" 
(Letter  35). 


Appendix.  239 

Teresa  was  captured  by  the  Mohawks  at  the  same  time 
as  Father  Jogues.    She  was  bound  to  one  of  her  cousins, 
aged,  like  herself,  fifteen,  and  hurried  off  with  the  other 
prisoners.     She  was  not  as  badly  treated  as  the  men,  and 
fell  to  the  lot  of  a  young  warrior,  who  married  her.     As 
long  as  her  uncle,  Joseph  Teondechoren,  remained  near 
her  he  encouraged   her   by  his   example  and  his   pious 
words.     After  his  escape  from  the  hands  of  the  enemy 
he  went  to  Quebec  to  tell  the  Ursulines  of  his  niece's  dis- 
position.    "She  is  not  ashamed  of  her  baptism,"  said  he. 
''She  prays  to  God  publicly,  and  goes  to  confession  to 
Father  Jogues  every  time  he  visits  her  village.     I  often 
exhorted  her  to  persevere  in  good  and  not  lose  courage. 
Slie  obeyed  me  in  everything,  and  I  am  most  grateful  to 
you.   Mothers,  for  the  pious  education   you  have  given 
her.       This  does  not  prevent  her  from  grieving  to   be 
compelled  to  live  in  the  midst  of  our  cruel  enemies.    She 
has  suffered  much  from  the  cold  and  inclemency  of  win- 
ter; she  has  even  been  very  sick,  but  God  has  restored  her 
to  health.     I  told  her,  'Be  patient;  this  life  is  short;  your 
troubles  will  end,  and  you  will  be  happy  in  heaven  if  you 
persevere.'     She  has  no  beads,  and  to  say  her  rosary  she 
uses  her  fingers,  or  little  pebbles  which  she  lays  on  the 
ground  at  each  Hail  Mary.    She  often  spoke  to  me  about 
you.     'Alas  !'  said  she,  '  if  the  nuns  saw  me  in  this  state 
among  these  wicked  Iroquois,  who  know  not  God,  they 
w^ould  take  pity  on  me.'" 

We  have  seen  that  the  Governor  and  the  Ursulines  of- 
fered a  ransom  for  her  deliverance,  which  Father  Jogues 
presented  to  the  Mohawks.  Her  marriage  was  an  obstacle 
to  her  liberation,  or  rather  a  pretext  for  deferring  it;  and 
the  treachery  of  those  Indians,  which  made  peace  impos- 
sible for  several  years,  deprived  her  friends  of  all  hope  of 
obtaining  her  liberty.  She  accordingly  remained  among 
the  heathens,  but  she  preserved  amidst  them  her  faith 
and  her  virtue. 

Father  Le  Moyne  found  her  at  Onondaga  in  1654,  when 


240  Life  of  Father  Joo2ces. 

he  went  there  to  confirm  a  new  treaty  of  peace  between 
the  Iroquois  and  the  French.  She  ran  to  meet  him.  He 
was  the  only  missionary  whom  she  had  seen  after  Father 
Jogues.  In  order  to  profit  better  by  his  presence  she  in- 
vited him  to  the  house  she  occupied  outside  the  village. 
*'  My  God,"  cried  the  Father  in  his  journal,  "  what  a  sweet 
consolation  to  find  so  much  faith  in  savage  hearts  living 
in  captivity,  with  no  help  but  heaven  !  God  makes  apos- 
tles everywhere.  This  excellent  woman  had  with  her 
a  captive  girl  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  old,  belonging  to 
the  Neutral  Nation,  whom  she  loved  as  if  she  were  her 
own  child.  She  had  instructed  her  so  well  in  the  mys- 
teries of  the  Faith,  and  had  inspired  her  with  such  senti- 
ments of  piety  in  the  prayers  which  they  recited  together 
in  this  holy  solitude,  that  I  was  utterly  surprised.  'Why 
did  you  not  baptize  her,  sister?'  said  I,  'since  she  be- 
lieves as  you  do,  is  a  Christian  in  her  life,  and  wishes  to 
live  and  die  a  Christian?'  'Alas!  brother,'  replied  this 
humble  captive,  "  I  did  not  know  that  it  was  lawful  for 
me  to  baptize,  except  in  danger  of  death.  But  baptize 
her  now  yourself,  since  you  deem  her  worthy,  and  give 
her  my  name.'  It  was  the  first  adult  baptism  performed 
in  Onondaga,  and  we  are  indebted  for  it  to  the  piety  of 
a  Huron  woman.  The  joy  I  experienced  banished  all 
the  hardships  I  had  undergone"  (Relation,  1654). 

The  consolation  which  Teresa  had  enjoyed  in  seeing  a 
black-gown  once  more,  and  approaching  the  Sacraments, 
was  complete,  when  she  was  so  happy  as  to  see  the  mis- 
sionaries establish  themselves  permanently  in  the  Iro- 
quois cantons  in  1657.  She  probably  owed  the  preser- 
vation of  her  life  to  their  presence.  Her  husband  was  a 
hard  and  cruel  man.  One  day  he  ordered  her  to  go  a 
day's  journey  and  bring  in  some  game  that  he  had  killed. 
It  was  beyond  her  strength,  but  to  disobey  was  to  pro- 
voke her  death.  She  hastened  to  the  missionary  to  pre- 
pare for  the  sacrifice.  Fortified  b}'^  the  grace  of  the  Sac- 
raments and  the  thoughts  of  faith,  she  returned  to  her 


Appeyidix.  241 

tyrant  and  said  calmly,  *'  You  know  that  I  am  not  able 
to  do  what  you  order  me;  but  here  I  am:  kill  me  if  you 
like."  This  courage  and  coolness  disarmed  the  savage, 
and  he  abandoned  his  unreasonable  order. 

Teresa  Oiouhaton  persevered  to  the  end  in  the  same 
sentiments,  and  preserved  in  her  noble  heart  the  sacred 
seed  implanted  there  in  her  younger  days:  from  this 
fruitful  source  her  soul  drew  its  strength,  and  the  only 
consolation  which  sweetens  all  the  miseries  of  this  life. 


D. 

Joseph  Theondechoren.     Page  69. 

Joseph  Theondechoren  was  the  elder  brother  of  Joseph 
Chiouatenhoua,  the  first  Huron  who  became  a  Christian 
in  the  town  of  the  Conception.  After  the  death  of  the  lat- 
ter in  1640,  Teondechoren  reviewed  in  his  mind  the  advice 
which  he  had  received  from  him.  He  reflected  on  what  he 
had  heard  him  say  of  God,  of  His  justice  and  His  good- 
ness, and  he  felt  completely  changed.  Three  days  after 
the  funeral,  he  solicited  baptism.  He  was  put  to  the  test; 
for  the  missionaries,  knowing  that  he  was  addicted  to 
gambling,  superstition,  and  impurity,  feared  a  relapse,  and 
that  his  resolution  might  be  the  result  of  a  momentary  im- 
pulse, rather  than  of  a  solid  and  durable  conviction.  His 
conversion  was,  however,  sincere,  and  his  perseverance 
dispelled  all  doubts.  He  was  baptized  September  8, 
1640.  His  wife  soon  followed  his  example,  and  received 
the  same  grace  at  Easter  1641,  taking  the  name  of  Cath- 
arine. After  his  conversion  Joseph  related  how  for  twen- 
ty years  he  had  served  as  an  instrument  to  the  devil.  His 
hands  and  lips  were  not  at  first  fire-proof  to  take  live  coals 
and  heated  pebbles,  but  after  a  dream  he  obtained  this 
power.  He  was  able  even  to  plunge  his  arm  into  a  ket- 
tle of  boiling  water  without  suffering  any  injury.  It  re- 
quired courage  to  renounce  all  his  superstitious  practices, 


242  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

and  his  constancy  was  admirable  in  the  assaults  which 
he  had  to  sustain  from  the  enemy  of  salvation  and  his 
tools.  He  did  more — he  became  a  real  apostle,  and  his 
words  were  of  fire. 

As  tlie  missionaries  resided  in  his  cabin,  he  endeavored 
to  imitate  them  in  everything  and  to  conform  to  their 
mode  of  life.  He  rose  at  the  same  hour,  gave  the  same 
time  to  prayer,  and  shared  their  labors.  His  heathen 
friends  could  not  understand  his  mode  of  acting,  and 
especially  the  blameless  life  he  led.  They  said  to  him, 
"But  what  have  the  black-gowns  done  to  you  to  change 
you  so?"  'They  have  plucked  out,"  said  he,  "all  that 
was  evil  in  my  soul.  Believe  in  the  '  Prayer  '  yourselves, 
as  you  should,  and  you  will  experience  it  better  than 
I  can  tell  you"  (Relation,  1642). 

When  he  was  told  of  some  calumnies  uttered  against 
him,  he  said,  "Wait  till  the  day  of  judgment,  and  you 
will  see  how  it  is.  Your  wickedness  does  me  good,  for  I 
offer  it  to  our  Lord  in  satisfaction  for  my  sins."* 

So  good  a  Christian  was  worthy  to  form  part  of  Father 
Jogues'  convoy.  When  he  was  leaving  his  country  to 
go  down  to  Quebec  he  addressed  these  words  to  all  the 
Christians  present :  "  Brethren,  I  am  about  to  go  ;  we 
shall  never  perhaps  have  the  consolation  of  seeing  each 
other  again  here  below.  I  wish  to  speak  to  you  as 
though  I  were  at  the  point  of  death.  Whatever  misfor- 
tune may  befall  us,  let  us  remember  that  we  are  Chris- 
tians, that  our  hopes  are  in  heaven,  and  that  earth  pos- 
sesses nothing  capable  of  satisfying  a  soul  that  has  given 
itself  to  God.  For  all  eternity  we  shall  have  time  to  en- 
joy this  truth.  It  is  enough  now  that  faith  shows  it  to 
us.  Let  us  never  lose  the  grace  that  we  received  in  holy 
baptism.  This  is  our  treasure.  If  the  devil  or  all  hell 
endeavors  to  deprive  us  of  it,  let  us  have  greater  ardor 
for  our  salvation  than  he  has   for  our  destruction.     Let 


*  Letter  of  Father  Chaumonot. 


Appendix,  243 

us  watch  night  and  day  over  ourselves,  and  have  recourse 
to  prayer  as  often  as  we  feel  our  heart  attacked.  Let  us 
esteem  the  gift  of  Faith,  and  love  a  God  who  has  first 
loved  us;  let  all  the  efforts  of  our  hatred  be  turned  against 
sin." 

When  he  ceased  he  made  all  present  kneel  down,  and 
in  the  name  of  all  he  pronounced  a  protestation  of  fidel- 
ity in  God's  service  (Relation,  1644). 

Joseph  was  taken  prisoner,  with  his  two  brothers,  his 
son,  and  his  niece,  and  like  the  other  captives  endured 
with  admirable  courage  torments  and  insults  at  the 
hands  of  his  executioners.  He  saw  his  son  and  one  of 
his  brothers  killed  by  the  Iroquois.  To  support  him  in  his 
captivity  he  had  recourse  to  prayer  and  the  sacrament  of 
penance.  He  loved  often  to  commune  with  God.  "I 
spoke  to  Him  in  my  heart,"  he  added,  "  as  though  we  had 
been  two  conversing  together,  and  so  I  never  wearied." 

His  devotion  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  was  very  great:  he 
said  his  rosary  every  day,  counting  on  his  fingers.  He 
often  recited  it  with  Father  Jogues,  even  in  the  streets  of 
the  Mohawk  town,  unperceived  by  the  heathens.  "How 
I  love  that  prayer  !"  he  said  afterwards.  "  I  never  am 
tired  of  saying  it,  and  invoking  the  Mother  of  my  God." 
To  this  devotion  he  ascribed  his  deliverance  from  the 
hands  of  his  enemies.  Joseph  went  twice  to  the  Dutch 
with  his  masters.  One  of  these  Protestants  having  seen 
him  make  the  sign  of  the  cross,  rebuked  him  for  it,  and 
ridiculed  the  practice.  Joseph  listened,  but,  inaccessible 
to  human  respect  and  firm  in  his  faith,  did  not  lay  aside 
the  custom,  but  maintained  it  without  ostentation  and 
without  any  cowardice. 

In  the  spring  of  1643  the  Iroquois  took  him  with  them, 
as  well  as  his  brother  and  another  prisoner,  on  an  expe- 
dition to  the  St.  Lawrence.  The  three  Hurons  succeeded 
in  escaping  by  night,  and  reached  Three  Rivers,  where 
they  were  so  happy  as  to  find  Father  de  Brebeuf,  and 
then  returned  to  their  own  country.     There  Joseph  had 


244  ^^f^  of  Father  JogiLes. 

more  than  one  opportunity  to  show  what  the  firmness 
and  resignation  of  a  true  Christian  can  effect. 

On  reaching  his  country  he  could  not  contain  his  joy 
and  his  gratitude,  and  he  said  to  the  missionaries,  "  Truly 
the  God  whom  you  preach  and  in  whom  I  believe  is 
alone  omnipotent  and  all  good.  He  has  conducted  me 
and  protected  me  for  a  year  amid  a  thousand  perils,  and 
if  He  had  wished  that  my  body  should  suffer,  it  has  only 
been  that  my  soul  should  feel  that  there  are  joys  even  in 
suffering,  and  that  there  are  no  terrors  for  one  who  hopes 
in  God." 

His  words  to  the  idolaters  prove  that  the  Holy  Ghost 
makes  even  the  tongues  of  children  eloquent.  "You 
feel  joy  to  see  me  delivered  from  the  cruelties  of  the 
Iroquois,"  he  said  to  those  who  congratulated  him; 
"while  it  saddens  me  to  find  you  still  under  the  bond- 
age of  the  demons,  and  for  my  part  I  do  not  consider 
myself  as  entirely  free  while  I  am  in  this  world,  where  sin 
can  plunge  me  into  a  captivit}^  even  more  unhappy  than 
the  one  I  have  suffered.  The  tortures  I  endured  were 
horrible;  what  then  must  eternal  fire  be  ? 

"  I  am  told  that  several  rejoiced  when  they  heard  that 
I  had  been  taken  prisoner,  and  that  they  made  it  a  pre- 
text for  reviling  the  God  whom  I  adore;  that  they  pre- 
tended that  He  was  under  their  power;  that  the  misery 
into  which  He  had  permitted  me  to  fall  would  prevent 
others  from  following  my  example,  and  from  serving  a 
master  who  had  no  power  or  will  to  render  us  forever 
happy,  since  He  did  not  begin  in  this  life.  Brethren,  I 
do  not  know  God's  designs  in  my  regard.  In  my  most 
cruel  sufferings  I  did  not  dare  to  ask  of  Him  either  life 
or  death,  believing  that  I  was  a  child  who  did  not  know 
what  is  for  my  good,  and  that  He,  my  Father  and  my 
sovereign  Master,  had  more  wisdom  to  guide  me,  and 
that  He  would  never  fail  to  love  me,  so  long  as  I  did  not 
fail  to  trust  in  Him. 

"  Here  I  am,  delivered  contrary  to  all  my  hopes.     I  do 


Appendix.  245 

not  know  whether  you  have  caused  it  by  your  horrid 
blasphemies. 

''I  believe  that  God  wished  to  justify  Himself  in  my 
person,  and  show  you  that  He  had  not  forsaken  me,  and 
that  His  power  and  love  will  never  fail  those  who  belong 
to  Him. 

"  I  do  not  know  for  what  death  He  reserves  me,  but 
whatever  misfortune  may  befall  me,  do  not  accuse  Him: 
it  is  enough  that  He  has  confounded  you  once  before  you 
die.  Your  impiety  cannot  compel  Him  always  to  work 
miracles.  If  you  recognize  neither  His  goodness  nor 
His  power  in  this  life,  He  will  justify  Himself  forever  at 
the  day  of  judgment.  Then  those  who  have  blasphemed 
against  Him  will  be  strangely  disabused  when  they  see 
the  eternal  rewards  which  He  prepared  for  us,  even  when 
He  seeemed  to  forsake  us,  and  that  for  the  impious  there 
is  no  longer  anything  but  endless  torments  and  despair." 

After  his  return  to  his  own  country  Theondechoren 
formed  one  of  a  convoy  of  a  hundred  warriors  who  went 
down  to  Quebec.  They  were  attacked  on  the  way  by 
the  Iroquois,  and  sustained  two  serious  reverses,  in 
which  they  lost  several  men,  with  nearly  all  their  baggage 
and  goods. 

Joseph,  wounded  in  the  shoulder,  succeeded  in  escap- 
ing to  the  woods;  but  he  remained  alone  for  two  or  three 
days,  losing  blood  freely,  and  with  no  one  to  assist  him. 
With  failing  strength,  and  believing  that  he  was  going 
to  die,  he  addressed  this  prayer  to  God.  As  he  repeated 
it  subsequently  to  the  missionaries,  he  said,  "  My  God, 
I  continue  to  acknowledge  that  Thou  art  everywhere,  my 
God — on  these  rocks  where  I  see  myself  forsaken,  as  in 
the  midst  of  my  captivity,  and  my  whole  heart  is  consoled 
by  the  single  thought  that  wherever  I  am  Thou  dost  wit- 
ness my  sufferings.  I  escaped  from  the  enemy  inorder  to 
die  near  my  Fathers  who  have  begotten  me  in  the  Faith. 
But,  my  God,  if  Thou  reservest  this  pleasure  for  me  i» 
heaven,  blessed  be  Thou  forever  !     I  die  as  willingly  on 


246  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

these  rocks  as  in  the  Huron  country,  for  wherever  I  die 
it  is  Thou  alone  who  disposest  of  my  life." 

Meanwhile  some  of  his  companions  found  him,  and 
though  still  pagans,  they  were  so  touched  by  his  words 
that  they  took  pity  on  him  and  carried  him  with  them. 

These  were  not  the  only  trials  which  Joseph  had  to 
undergo,  and  among  the  keenest  must  be  enumerated 
the  jealousy  of  his  second  wife.  Her  constant  re- 
proaches culminated  in  anger,  often  shown  in  public. 
In  the  midst  of  a  banquet  which  Theondechoren  was  one 
day  giving  to  his  friends,  she  misinterpreted  a  very  in- 
nocent action  on  his  part.  Blinded  by  passion,  she  took 
her  children,  in  presence  of  all  his  guests,  and  dragging 
them  to  the  door,  said,  "  Come,  let  us  seek  another 
home.  You  have  no  father;  do  you  not  see  that  he  dis- 
owns you,  since  he  does  not  recognize  me  as  his  wife  ?" 
She  rushed  from  the  cabin  into  the  depth  of  the  wood. 
Good  Joseph  remained  unshaken  before  the  storm;  but 
his  mildness  and  constancy  triumphed  at  last  over  her 
angry  and  jealous  disposition. 

Let  us  cite  for  this  good  Christian  the  testimony  of 
Father  Charles  Garnier,  who  often  lived  under  his  roof: 
"  This  good  young  man  shames  me,  seeing  how  he  ad- 
vances in  the  service  of  God,  for  he  has  no  heart  or 
thought  or  words,  except  for  God.  Sometimes  the  devil 
suggests  to  him  some  evil  thought,  but  he  at  once  takes 
a  firebrand  and  applies  it  to  his  arm  or  hand,  saying, 
'  Can  you  suffer  the  fire  of  hell  ? '  He  once  said  to  me, 
'Brother,  let  me  propose  to  you  a  doubt  that  I  have. 
Sometimes  after  being  long  at  prayer  it  seems  to  me  that 
God,  as  it  were,  takes  possession  of  my  heart,  and  that  I 
have  none  but  for  Him;  but  I  believe  that  I  sometimes 
commit  a  fault,  when,  finding  myself  in  this  state,  I  leave 
prayer  to  go  and  work,  or  sometimes  even  to  go  and 
rest.'  He  fears  no  man  where  God's  glory  is  concerned  " 
(Letter  of  1646). 

When  the  Hurons  were  driven  from  their  country  by 


Appeiidix.  247 

the  Iroquois  in  1649,  Theondechoren  retired  with  the  mis- 
sionaries to  Ahoendae,  or  St.  Joseph's  Island,  and  the 
next  year  he  followed  them  with  a  good  number  of  his 
tribe  to  seek  safety  under  the  fort  of  Quebec,  where  he 
continued  to  edify  the  French  and  Indians  by  liis  admir- 
able piety.  More  than  four  months  before  his  death  he 
spoke  frequently  of  the  uncertainty  of  life,  as  if  he  had 
had  a  presentiment  of  his  fate,  and  he  urged  all  to  be 
ever  ready,  for  "  we  shall  be  surprised,"  said  he.  While 
going  to  Tadoussac  he  perished  in  a  storm,  June  26,  1652. 

E. 

Charles  Tsondatsaa.     Page  69. 

Charles  Tsondatsaa  was  the  son  of  a  chief  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Ossossane.  With  a  feeling  heart  and  upright 
mind,  he  had  never  been  opposed  to  the  missionaries, 
nor  hostile  to  the  Faith.  He  even  opened  his  house  to 
the  Jesuit  Fathers  when  they  were  driven  out  on  all 
sides,  and  before  he  became  a  Christian  he  permitted 
his  children  to  be  baptized.  Yet  he  continued  to  act  as 
a  medicine-man,  and  was  regarded  as  a  very  expert  one; 
but  he  unhesitatingly  sacrificed  all  the  implements  of  his 
evil  craft  when  he  resolved  to  take  his  place  among  the 
catechumens. 

He  had  already  been  soliciting  baptism  for  a  year 
when  Father  de  Brebeuf  was  obliged  to  go  down  to  Que- 
bec. Out  of  affection  and  devotedness  for  him,  Charles 
undertook  to  guide  him.  The  only  reward  he  sought 
was  his  admission  into  the  Church  of  God.  During  the 
voyage  his  conduct  was  very  edifying:  no  one  was  more 
assiduous  or  more  fervent  in  prayer  than  he;  none  more 
eager  to  listen  to  the  missionary's  instructions.  His  ex- 
cellent disposition  made  him  notable  as  soon  as  he  reached 
Quebec,  and  the  Governor  wished  to  see  and  converse 
with  him.     This  increased  his  esteem  for  the  neophyte, 


248  Life  of  Father  Jogties. 

and  he  asked  that  his  baptism  should  be  no  longer  de- 
ferred; he  even  offered  to  be  his  godfather,  and  gave  him 
his  own  name.  For  the  cause  of  religion,  he  invested 
the  ceremony  with  unusual  pomp.  It  took  place  at 
Sillery,  in  presence  of  all  the  Indians  of  that  Mission. 

Father  de  Brebeuf  acted  as  interpreter,  and  put  the 
usual  questions  to  elicit  from  the  catechumen  a  public 
testimony  of  his  faith.  The  replies  of  Tsondatsaa, 
made  aloud  and  with  ardent  conviction,  showed  the  deep 
sincerity  of  his  heart.  After  the  ceremony  the  Gover- 
nor embraced  the  neophyte,  and  made  him  a  present  of  an 
arquebuse,  telling  him,  "  I  rejoice  to  see  you  a  Christian. 
Keep  faithfully  the  word  you  have  given  to  God.  Bap- 
tism will  give  you  arms  against  your  invisible  enemies; 
take  this  arquebuse  to  repel  the  visible  enemies  who 
wish  to  exterminate  your  nation.  You  will  exhort  your 
countrymen  to  follow  your  example;  assure  them  of  my 
protection." 

The  chief  of  the  Sillery  Indians  then  addressed  him, 
saying,  ''Brother,  all  the  Indians  whom  you  see  here  are 
Christians.  By  embracing  the  Faith  you  become  really 
our  brother.  We  have  only  one  Father,  who  is  in  heaven, 
and  one  mother.  Holy  Church.  Your  friends  are  our 
friends, and  your  enemies  our  enemies.  Since  Onontiohas 
given  you  a  firearm,  here  is  something  to  use  with  it;" 
and  he  presented  him  a  bag  of  powder.  Charles'  emo- 
tion was  so  great  that  he  could  only  stammer  his  thanks, 
and  renew  his  profession  of  faith,  but  in  all  proclaiming 
his  joy  and  happiness.  On  returning  to  his  own  coun- 
try, Charles  showed  clearly  that  the  Huron  church 
counted  another  valiant  champion  in  him.  He  at  once 
invited  the  sachems  and  chiefs  to  a  solemn  banquet  to 
announce  his  conversion,  and  thus  addressed  them  :  "  You 
see  a  man  who,  since  he  left  you,  has  become  a  Chris- 
tian, and  so  firm  a  one,  that  he  has  resolved  to  die  a 
thousand  deaths  rather  than  renounce  his  religion.  My 
goods,  my  life,  my  courage,  are  yours — provided  you  re- 


Appendix.  249 

quire  nothing  of  me  that  displeases  God.  I  do  not  know 
much,  but  I  offer  to  teach  all  who  have  any  desire  to  imi- 
tate me."  He  never  deviated  from  this  line  of  conduct. 
When  he  spoke  of  what  he  had  seen  at  Quebec  he  knew 
not  when  to  stop.  Three  things  especially  had  charmed 
him:  the  respect  and  obedience  of  the  French  for  their 
Governor;  the  piety  and  devotedness  of  the  nuns;  the 
devotion  and  charity  of  the  new  Christians  at  Sillery. 

The  trials  through  which  he  passed  gave  new  lustre 
to  his  virtue,  for  he  wa-s  often  exposed  to  the  sarcasms 
and  persecutions  of  his  kindred  and  neighbors.  Imme- 
diately after  his  baptism  sickness  and  death  struck  down 
those  dearest  to  him.  His  heathen  relatives  ascribed 
these  misfortunes  to  his  change,  and  wished  to  draw  from 
it  arguments  against  his  faith;  but  they  failed. 

Charles  Tsondatsaa  was,  as  we  have  seen,  one  o£  the 
party  who  accompanied  Father  Jogues,  and  like  him  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  Iroquois.  He  had  the  good  for- 
tune to  escape  from  their  hands;  but  he  had  lost  all 
he  possessed.  When  he  returned  to  his  country  he 
said  to  his  tribesmen  :  "  I  had  never  come  back  so  rich 
from  any  voyage.  God  has  deprived  me  of  all  in  a  mo- 
ment, to  teach  me  that  earthly  goods  are  nothing,  and 
that  it  is  only  in  heaven  that  our  real  hopes  are.  Faith 
alone  procures  true  joy.  When,  after  escaping  from  death, 
I  found  myself  at  Three  Rivers  among  the  Algonquins, 
Montagnais,  and  French,  whose  language  I  knew  not, 
they  consoled  me,  although  they  spoke  an  unknown 
tongue.  One  wept  with  compassion  on  seeing  me;  another 
raised  his  hand  to  point  up  to  heaven.  I  understood  with- 
out hearing  a  word ;  I  felt  an  invisible  hand  confirming  my 
mind,  and  making  me  find  happiness  in  all  my  losses." 

Charles  was  always  the  model  and  pillar  of  the  young 
Huron  church.  One  day,  when  he  was  returning  very 
weary  from  a  long  journey,  he  found  his  cabin  in  disor- 
der. The  cause  of  the  grief  was  the  serious  illness  of 
his  little  niece,  five  years  oM.    "You  are  grieving  in  ad- 


250  Life  of  Father  Jogties. 

vance  over  her  death,"  said  he;  "and  what  saddens  me 
most  is  that  she  has  not  been  baptized."  He  ran  out  at 
once,  and  hastened  to  the  chief  Christians  to  find  one 
who  knew  the  mode  of  administering  the  Sacrament.  At 
last  he  met  good  Joseph  Tlieondechoren,  and  brought  him 
to  the  cabin.  The  child  received  baptism.  Charles 
then  addressed  all  present :  ^'Now  let  us  be  comforted; 
her  soul  is  safe:  she  will  soar  away  to  heaven,  and  will 
pray  to  God  for  us.  For  my  part,  I  deem  myself  happy 
that  I  have  four  children  already  in  heaven;  I  invoke 
them  with  consolation."  Thus  on  all  occasions  this  ex- 
cellent convert  sought  to  diffuse  around  him  the  faith 
that  filled  his  heart  and  the  hope  that  sustained  his  soul. 
His. old  friends  made  many  efforts  to  draw  Charles  back 
into  his  old  bad  habits,  but  could  not  gain  anything.  He 
always  replied  that  he  feared  fire  less  then  he  feared  sin. 
They  resolved  to  test  it,  and  under  the  form  of  an  act 
of  charity  carried  their  temptation  to  cruelty.  At  the 
close  of  a  laborious  day  they  invited  him  to  take  a  vapor- 
bath — a  very  common  remedy  among  the§e  people.  A 
cabin  is  prepared,  and  covered  with  bark  and  several 
thick  skins  to  prevent  all  evaporation.  A  small  opening 
is  left  at  the  bottom  to  push  in  stones,  heated  red-hot. 
On  these  water  is  dropped,  which  rises  in  vapor  and  fills 
the  confined  space.*  Unsuspicious  of  their  perfidious  de- 
sign, Charles  entered  the  cabin,  and  they  began  to  heat 
it.  The  heat  soon  became  excessive,  and  a  real  torture. 
Ctiarles  called  out  that  the  heat  was  sufficient  for  the 
vapor-bath,  and  that  if  it  was  increased  lie  would  stifle. 
The  author  of  this  infernal  stratagem  then  told  Charles 
tliat  to  satisfy  a  dream  he  had  had  the  night  before,  he 
must  pronounce  three  words  in  favor  of  his  tutelar  de- 

*  These  vapor-baths  under  the  same  form  were  found  among  several 
ancient  nations.  Herodotus  mentions  the  Scythians  and  Strabo  the 
Licedemonians  and  the  Lusitanians.  They  also  prevailed  among  the 
Celts. 


Appendix.  2  5  r 

mon,  in  order  to  avert  a  danger  which  threatened  him. 
"Do  me  this  friendly  service,"  he  added,  "and  I  will  set 
you  free."  Seeing  that  they  wished  to  extort  from  him 
by  force  what  they  could  not  obtain  by  persuasion, 
Charles  bravely  answered,  "Comrade,  hell-fire  is  hotter 
than  this.  To  avoid  one,  I  should  be  a  fool  to  rush  into 
the  other.  You  may  kill  me  if  you  like,  but  you  will 
never  get  me  to  utter  an  impious  word.  I  have  no 
tongue  to  commit  a  sin."  He  was  urged  not  to  persist 
in  his  refusal,  and  not  to  be  cruel  to  a  friend.  "And 
after  all,"  they  said  to  him,  "  the  compulsion  used  to  you 
will  be  a  good  excuse  to  the  black-gowns.  You  know, 
too,  that  there  are  remedies  for  all  sins,  and  if  you  pre- 
fer, we  swear  inviolable  secrecy;  they  shall  never  know 
a  word  about  it."  "  Friends,"  replied  the  Christian  hero, 
"  I  do  not  fear  men,  my  countrymen,  or  the  French,  or 
the  Iroquois  ;  but  I  fear  God,  whose  eye  sees  the  depth 
of  our  conscience.  Hope  of  pardon  is  good  to  excite  to 
repentance,  but  not  to  incite  one  to  offend."  Meanwhile 
the  heat  was  steadily  rising.  "  Friends,"  cried  Charles, 
"  I  lack  air,  not  courage;  I  cannot  breathe,  but  know 
that  I  will  not  yield."  His  feeble  voice  showed  his  weak- 
ness, and  his  approaching  end.  The  main  author  of  this 
cruel  trick,  seeing  himself  baffled,  became  furious,  and 
vomited  a  thousand  blasphemies  against  the  Faith  and 
the  Christians  ;  but  his  accomplices,  unwilling  to  push 
the  trial  any  further,  at  last  blamed  his  obstinacy,  and 
forced  him  to  give  up  his  infernal  work. 

When  they  opened  the  cabin  Charles  was  almost 
dead.  He  recovered,  however,  and  his  only  vengeance 
was  a  kind  look  he  gave  his  torturer,  saying,  "  You  killed 
me,  but  you  could  not  make  me  sin"  (Relation,  1644). 

Charles  survived  this  fiery  trial  for  a  long  time,  and 
continued  to  edify  the  Christians,  and  the  very  pagans. 
He  had  the  consolation  of  seeing  more  than  one  of  his 
persecutors  embrace,  like  himself,  the  law  of  the  Gos- 
pel. 


252  Life  of  Father  fogues. 


Eustace  Ahasistari.     Page  69. 

On  account  of  his  antecedents  and  his  character, 
Ahasistari  was  regarded  by  the  whole  nation  as  their 
head  chief.  "  He  was  in  fact,"  says  Father  Charles  Gar- 
nier,  "  the  greatest  warrior  in  the  land."  He  deserves  to 
be  known.  "  The  life  of  this  man,"  wrote  Father  Jerome 
Lalemant,  "  is  only  one  succession  of  battles,  and  from 
boyhood  war  was  his  only  thought,  and  it  was  through 
it  that  God  made  him  a  Christian.  He  belonged  to  the 
village  of  Teanaustayae,  or  St.  Joseph.  Before  bending 
his  neck  to  the  yoke  of  faith,  he  had  long  been  interiorly 
urged  by  the  Lord.  He  admired  it,  without  yet  fully 
understanding  it.  He  often,  indeed,  though  in  secret, 
invoked  the  God  of  the  Christians.  A  blind  attachment 
to  the  absurd  native  superstitions,  always  held  him  back. 
He  seemed  so  inveterately  attached  to  them,  that  even 
after  his  conversion  the  missionaries  for  some  time  enter- 
tained doubts  as  to  his  sincerity.  They  kept  him  on 
trial  for  three  years  before  they  yielded  to  his  earnest 
entreaty  to  be  baptized.  Yet  his  zeal  for  the  Faith  and 
his  desire  to  receive  the  sacrament  of  regeneration  were 
seen  to  be  constantly  on  the  increase.  During  the  winter  of 
1 641  there  was  a  renewal  of  fervor  in  his  soul.  It  might 
be  thought  that  he  had  a  presentiment  of  what  was  soon 
to  befall  him.  To  give  a  higher  idea  of  the  Faith,  the 
missionaries  had  introduced  the  custom  of  admitting 
some  Indians  to  baptism  at  each  one  of  the  principal 
holidays  of  the  year.  They  all  gathered  in  the  chapel 
at  St.  Mary,  to  give  the  ceremony  all  possible  solemnity. 

On  the  approach  of  Easter,  Ahasistari  felt  interiorly 
moved  to  take  a  new  step  to  obtain  his  desire.  He  went 
to  St.  Mary  to  plead  his  cause  in  person  with  the  Supe- 
rior of  the  Mission.     *'  I  have  the  Faith  in  the  bottom  of 


Appendix.  253 

my  heart,"  he  said,  with  admirable  frankness  and  a  holy- 
ardor,  "and  my  conduct  last  winter  proves  it.  In  a  few 
days  I  start  on  the  war-path.  If  I  die  in  battle,  where 
will  my  soul  go  without  baptism  ?  If  you  could  see  into 
my  heart  as  clearly  as  the  Master  of  Life  does,  I 
should  be  a  Christian  now,  and  the  fear  of  hell-fire  would 
not  haunt  me  the  moment  I  face  death.  I  cannot  bap- 
tize myself;  I  can  only  tell  you  sincerely  my  desire. 
After  that,  if  my  soul  burns  in  hell,  it  is  your  fault;  but 
whatever  you  do,  I  shall  always  pray  to  God,  since  I 
know  Him,  and  He  will  perhaps  show  me  mercy,  for  you 
teach  me  that  He  is  better  than  you."  "But  how  did 
the  first  thoughts  of  the  Faith  come  to  you  ?"  asked  the 
missionary.  "Even  before  you  were  in  the  country," 
said  the  Huron,  "  I  had  escaped  a  thousand  dangers,  in 
which  my  comrades  fell  before  my  eyes.  I  saw  clearly 
that  it  was  not  to  myself  that  I  was  indebted  for  being 
rescued  from  these  dangers.  It  came  into  my  mind  that 
there  was  some  more  powerful  genius,  unknown  to  me, 
who  came  to  my  aid.  I  was  convinced  that  our  belief 
was  mere  folly,  but  I  knew  nothing  better.  As  soon  as 
I  heard  of  the  God  whom  you  preach,  and  what  Jesus 
Christ  did  on  earth,  I  recognized  the  one  who  has  pre- 
served me,  and  I  resolved  to  honor  Him  all  my  life. 
When  I  go  to  war  I  commend  myself  to  Him  night  and 
morning.  To  Him  I  owe  all  my  victories.  In  Him  I  be- 
lieve, and  I  ask  baptism  from  you,  that  after  my  death 
He  may  show  me  mercy." 

This  open  and  energetic  declaration  affected  the  mis- 
sionaries to  tears.  It  was  impossible  to  fetter  such  ar- 
dent desire  with  new  delays.  On  Holy  Saturday,  the 
Chapel  of  St.  Mary  was  arrayed  in  all  its  pomp.  The 
Christians  attended  in  great  numbers.  Ahasistari  and 
several  of  his  countrymen  received  the  character  of 
children  of  the  Church.  He  took  the  name  of  Eus- 
tace. The  next  year,  when  our  new-made  Christian 
heard  of  the  perilous  mission  confided  to  Father  Jogues, 


2  54  ^^y^  of  Father  Jogiies. 

he  was  one  of  the  first  to  offer  to  bear  him  company, 
ready  to  defend  him  in  case  of  attack,  or  die  with  him. 
His  prayers  were  heard. 


G.     Page  152. 

We  here  insert  in  full  the  curious  description  of  Man- 
hattan Island  and  the  Dutch  colony  which  Father  Jogues 
himself  wrote  in  1646.  We  follow  the  autograph,  which 
Mr.  John  Gilmary  Shea  reproduced  \x\  fac- simile  in  1862, 
with  a  translation  and  very  valuable  notes,  of  which  we 
have  availed  ourselves. 

Novum  Belgium. 

"  New  Holland,  which  the  Dutch  call  in  Latin  Novum 
Belgium — in  their  own  language,  Nieuw  Netherlands  that 
is  to  say.  New  Low  Countries — is  situated  between  Vir- 
ginia and  New  England.  The  mouth  of  the  river,  which 
some  people  call  Nassau,  or  the  Great  North  River,  to 
distinguish  it  from  another  which  they  call  the  South 
River,  and  from  some  maps  that  I  have  recently  seen  I 
think  Maurice  River,  is  at  40  deg.  30  min.  The  channel 
is  deep,  fit  for  the  largest  ships,  which  ascend  to  Man- 
hatte's  Island,  which  is  seven  leagues  in  circuit,  and  on 
which  there  is  a  fort  to  serve  as  the  commencement  of  a 
town  to  be  built  here,  and  to  be  called  New  Amsterdam. 

"  The  fort,  which  is  at  the  point  of  the  island,  about 
five  or  six  leagues  from  the  mouth,  is  called  Fort  Am- 
sterdam; it  has  four  regular  bastions,  mounted  with 
several  pieces  of  artillery.  All  these  bastions  and  the 
curtains  were,  in  1643,  but  mounds,  most  of  which  had 
crumbled  away,  so  that  they  entered  the  fort  on  all  sides. 
There  were  no  ditches.  For  the  garrison  of  the  said  fort, 
and  another  which  they  had  built  still  further  up  against 
the  incursions  of  the  savages,  their  enemies,  there  were 
sixty  soldiers.     They  were  beginning  to  face  the  gates 


Appc7idix.  255 

and  bastions  with  stone.  Within  the  fort  there  was  a 
pretty  large  stone  church,  the  house  of  the  Governor, 
whom  they  call  Director-General,  quite  neatly  built  of 
brick,  the  storehouses  and  barracks. 

"  On  the  Island  of  Manhattc,  and  in  its  environs,  there 
may  well  be  four  or  five  hundred  men  of  different  sects 
and  nations  ,  the  Director-General  told  me  that  there 
were  men  of  eighteen  different  languages;  they  are  scat- 
tered here  and  there  on  the  river,  above  and  below,  as 
the  beauty  and  convenience  of  the  spot  invited  each  to 
settle:  some,  mechanics,  however,  who  ply  their  trade,  are 
ranged  under  the  fort;  all  the  others  were  exposed  to  the 
incursions  of  the  natives;  who,  in  the  year  1643,  while  I 
was  there,  actually  killed  some  twoscore  Hollanders,  and 
burned  many  houses  and  barns  full  of  wheat. 

"The  river,  which  is  very  straight,  and  runs  due  north 
and  south,  is  at  least  a  league  broad  before  the  fort. 
Ships  lie  at  anchor  in  a  bay  which  forms  the  other  side 
of  the  island,  and  can  be  defended  from  the  fort. 

"  Shortly  before  I  arrived  there  three  large  ships  of 
300  tons  each  had  come  to  load  wheat;  two  found  car- 
goes; the  third  could  not  be  loaded,  because  the  savages 
had  burned  a  part  of  their  grain.  These  ships  came  from 
the  West  Indies,  where  the  West  India  Company  usually 
keeps  up  seventeen  ships  of  war. 

*'  No  religion  is  publicly  exercised  but  the  Calvinist, 
and  orders  are  to  admit  none  but  Calvinists,  but  this  is 
not  observed;  for  there  are  in  the  colony  besides  the 
Calvinists,  Catholics,  English  Puritans,  Lutherans,  Ana- 
baptists, here  called  Mnistes,  etc.,  etc.  When  any  one 
comes  to  settle  in  the  country  they  lend  him  horses, 
cows,  etc.;  they  give  him  provisions,  all  which  he  returns 
as  soon  as  he  is  at  ease;  and  as  to  the  land,  after  ten 
years  he  pays  to  the  West  India  Company  the  tenth  of 
the  produce  which  he  reaps. 

"This  country  is  bounded  on  the  New  England  side 
by  a  river  which   they  call   the   Fresche   River,   which 


256  Life  of  Father  Jogucs, 

serves  as  a  boundary  between  them  and  the  EngUsh. 
The  English,  however,  come  very  near  to  them,  choosing 
to  hold  lands  under  the  Hollanders,  who  ask  nothing, 
rather  than  depend  on  English  lords,  who  exact  rents, 
and  would  fain  be  absolute.  On  the  other  side,  south- 
ward, towards  Virginia,  its  limits  are  the  river  which 
they  call  the  South  River,  on  which  there  is  also  a  Dutch 
settlement,  but  the  Swedes  have  one  at  its  mouth  ex- 
tremely well  supplied  with  cannons  and  men.  It  is 
believed  that  these  Swedes  are  maintained  by  some  Am- 
sterdam merchants,  who  are  not  satisfied  that  the  West 
India  Company  should  alone  enjoy  all  the  commerce  of 
these  parts.  It  Is  near  this  river  that  a  gold  mine  is 
reported  to  have  been  found. 

"  See  in  the  work  of  the  Sieur  de  Laet  (^  Antwerp,  the 
table  and  chapter  on  New  Belgium,  as  he  sometimes 
calls  it,  or  the  map  '  Noya  Anglia,  Novum  Belgium,  et 
Virginia.' 

"  It  is  about  forty  years  since  the  Hollanders  came  to 
these  parts.  The  fort  was  begun  in  the  year  1615;  they 
began  to  settle  about  twenty  years  ago,  and  there  iS 
already  some  little  commerce  with  Virginia  and  New 
England. 

"The  first  comers  found  lands  fit  for  use,  formerly 
cleared  by  the  savages,  who  had  fields  here.  Those 
who  came  later  have  cleared  the  woods,  which  are  most- 
ly oak.  The  soil  is  good.  Deer-hunting  is  abundant  in 
the  fall.  There  are  some  houses  built  of  stone;  lime 
they  make  of  oyster-shells,  great  heaps  of  which  are 
found  here,  made  formerly  by  the  savages,  who  subsist 
in  part  by  that  fishery. 

"  The  climate  is  very  mild.  Lying  at  4of  deg.,  there 
are  many  European  fruits,  as  apples,  pears,  cherries.  I 
reached  there  in  October,  and  found  even  then  a  con- 
siderable quantity  of  peaches. 

"Ascending  the  river  to  the  43d  deg.,  you  meet  the 
second    Dutch    settlement,  which  the  tide   reaches  but 


Appendix.  257 

does  not  pass.     Ships  of  a  hundred  and  a  hundred  and 
twenty  tons  can  come  up  to  it. 

"There  are  two  things  in  this  settlement  (which  is 
called  Renselaerswick,  as  if  to  say,  settlement  of  Ren- 
selaers,  who  is  a  rich  Amsterdam  merchant) — ist,  a  mis- 
erable little  fort  called  Fort  Orange,  built  of  logs,  with 
four  or  five  pieces  of  Breteuil  cannon,  and  as  many 
swivels.  This  has  been  reserved,  and  is  maintained  hy 
the  West  India  Company.  This  fort  was  formerly  on  an 
island  in  the  river;  it  is  now  on  the  mainland,  towards 
the  Hiroquois,  a  little  above  the  said  island.  2d,  a  colony 
sent  here  by  this  Renselaers,  who  is  the  patron.  This 
colony  is  composed  of  about  a  hundred  persons,  who 
reside  in  some  twenty-five  or  thirty  houses  built  along 
the  river,  as  each  found  most  convenient.  In  the  prin- 
cipal house  lives  the  patron's  agent;  the  minister  has  his 
apart,  in  which  service  is  performed.  There  is  also  a 
kind  of  bailiff  here,  whom  they  call  the  Seneschal,  who 
administers  justice.  Their  houses  are  merely  of  boards 
and  thatched,  with  no  mason  work  except  the  chimneys. 
The  forest  furnishing  many  large  pines,  they  make 
boards  by  means  of  their  mills,  which  they  have  here 
for  the  purpose. 

"They  found  some  pieces  of  ground  all  ready,  which 
the  savages  had  formerly  cleared,  and  in  which  they  sow 
wheat  and  oats  for  beer,  and  for  their  horses,  of  which 
they  have  great  numbers.  There  is  little  land  fit  for 
tillage,  being  hemmed  in  by  hills,  which  are  poor  soil. 
This  obliges  them  to  separate,  and  they  already  occupy 
two  or  three  leagues  of  country. 

"Trade  is  free  to  all;  this  gives  the  Indians  all  things 
cheap,  each  of  the  Hollanders  outbidding  his  neighbor, 
and  being  satisfied  provided  he  can  gain  some  little 
profit. 

"This  settlement  is  not  more  than  twenty  leagues  from 
the  Agniehronons,  who  can  be  reached  by  land  or  water, 
as  the   river  on   which   the   Iroquois  lie  falls  into  that 


258  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

which  passes  by  the  Dutch;  but  there  are  many  low 
rapids  and  a  fall  of  a  short  half  league,  where  the  canoe 
must  be  carried. 

"  There  are  many  nations  between  the  two  Dutch  set- 
tlements, which  are  about  thirty  German  leagues  apart, 
that  is,  about  fifty  or  sixty  French  leagues.  The  Loups, 
whom  the  Iroquois  call  Agotsagenens,  are  the  nearest  to 
Renselaerswick  and  Fort  Orange.  War  breaking  out 
some  years  ago  between  the  Iroquois  and  the  Loups,  the 
Dutch  joined  the  latter  against  the  former;  but  four  men 
having  been  taken  and  burned,  they  made  peace.  Since 
then  some  nations  near  the  sea  have  killed  some  Hol- 
landers of  the  most  distant  settlement;  the  Hollanders 
killed  one  hundred  and  fifty  Indians,  men,  women,  and 
children.  They  having  then,  at  intervals,  killed  forty 
Hollanders,  burned  many  houses,  and  com.mitted  ravages, 
estimated  at  the  time  that  I  was  there  at  200,000  liv.  (two 
hundred  thousand  livres),  they  raised  troops  in  New  Eng- 
land. Accordingly,  in  the  beginning  of  winter,  the  grass 
being  trampled  down  and  some  snow  on  the  ground,  they 
gave  them  chase  with  six  hundred  men,  keeping  two  hun- 
dred always  on  the  move  and  constantly  relieving  one 
another;  so  that  the  Indians,  shut  up  in  a  large  island, 
and  unable  to  flee  easily,  on  account  of  their  women  and 
children,  were  cut  to  pieces  to  the  number  of  sixteen 
hundred,  including  women  and  children.  This  obliged 
the  rest  of  the  Indians  to  make  peace,  which  still  con- 
tinues.    This  occurred  in  1643  and  1644." 


Sites  of  the  Alohazuk  Villages.  259 


NOTE. 


The  Identification  of  Mohawk  Sites — The  Pilgrim 
Shrine — Recent  Petitions  for  the  Introduction 
of  the  Cause  of  Beatification. 

In  the  year  1884  was  first  published  the  result  of  the 
very  thorough  investigations  by  General  John  S.  Clark 
of  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  of  the  sites  of  the  villages  formerly 
occupied  by  the  Mohawk  Nation.  He  has  long  been  re- 
cognized as  the  leading  authority  in  this  line  of  research, 
and  in  the  present  case  his  labors  were  crowned  with 
the  most  gratifying  success.  Others  who  had  been 
working  at  the  data  independently,  without  the  local 
explorations  and  topographical  attainments  of  General 
Clark,  had  come  to  only  negative  results,  which,  how- 
ever, confirmed  in  every  particular  the  identification 
now  happily  and  finally  made.  The  following  brief 
statement  of  the  evidence  has  been  reviewed  by  General 
Clark,  and  agrees  in  all  points  with  the  verification 
made  by  Dr.  J.  G.  Shea  and  the  writer  in  "The  Pilgrim 
of  Our  Lady  of  Martyrs." 

1.  The  three  Mohawk  villages,  Ossernenon,  Andaga- 
ron,  and  Tionnontoguen,  from  1642  to  their  destruction 
by  fire  at  the  hands  of  the  French  in  1666,  were  certainly 
on  the  south  bank  of  the  Mohawk,  and  west  of  the 
Schoharie  River  (as  is  clear  from  the  contemporary  maps 
in  Vanderdonck,  the  Relations,  the  Expedition  of  De 
Tracy,  Jolliet's  Map,  etc.,  and  from  the  letters  of  Fathers 
Jogues   and    Poncet).     Louis  Jolliet,  who   with    Father 


26o  Life  of  Father  Jogues, 

Marquette  explored  the  Mississippi  River,  and  who  was 
one  of  the  best  and  most  accurate  hydrographers  of  his 
time,  as  his  many  maps  show,  left  one  on  which  Osser- 
nenon  is  shown  in  the  angle  between  the  Mohawk  and 
Schoharie  rivers,  where  Auriesville  railway-station  now 
is. 

2.  Father  Jogues,  in  his  account  of  the  captivity  and 
journey  of  himself  and  Rene  Goupil  to  the  villages  in 
1642,  says:  ''We  arrived  at  a  small  river  distant  about 
a  quarter  of  a  league  from  the  first  Iroquois  village" 
(Relation  1647,  p.  22).  A  quarter  of  a  French  league 
was  considerabl}^  less  than  three  quarters  of  a  mile;  the 
same  distance  is  given  in  the  MS.  of  1652,  taken  from 
the  lips  of  Father  Jogues  himself  by  his  Superior,  Father 
Buteux).  In  the  account  as  given  by  Bressani,  who  had 
been  a  captive  in  the  same  place,  the  words  are:  "On 
the  Eve  of  the  Assumption  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  about 
three  o'clock,  we  reached  a  river  which  flows  by  their 
first  village;  .  .  .  both  banks  were  filled  with  Iroquois, 
who  received  us  with  clubs,  sticks,  and  stones.  They 
then  led  us  to  their  village  on  the  top  of  the  hill."  The 
MS.  of  1652  says:  **  On  the  other  side  of  this  river  were 
man}^  Iroquois  who  were  waiting  for  the  prisoners." 
This  locates  the  village  south  of  the  Mohawk,  on  a  hill 
a  quarter  of  a  league  distant  from  the  river. 

3.  In  his  account  of  the  death  of  Rene,  Father  Jogues 
says:  "  They  told  me  that  the  body  had  been  dragged 
to  a  river  a  quarter  of  a  league  distant,  with  which  I 
was  not  acquainted."  This  can  only  apply  to  the  Scho- 
harie, as  the  Mohawk  was  in  plain  view  of  the  village, 
and  Father  Jogues  must  certainly  have  been  thoroughly 
well  acquainted  with  it  at  this  time;  whereas  the  Scho- 
harie was  separated  from  the  village  by  the  hills  and 
woods  between.  The  village  then  must  have  been  on  a 
hill  at  a  point  between  the  Mohawk  and  Schoharie 
rivers,  about  a  quarter  of  a  league  distant  from  each. 
At  this  exact  point,  on  the  hill  near  Auriesville  Station, 


Sites  of  the  Mohawk  Villac^es  26 1 

is  found  abundant  evidence  of  an  Indian  village.  These 
two  accounts  alone  taken  together  appear  to  be  con- 
clusive and  unanswerable.  (For  an  instance  of  the  im- 
possibility of  otherwise  according  the  data,  see  the 
explanation  formerly  given  of  the  two  rivers  by  Dr. 
Shea,  "Catholic  Missions,"  note,  p.  218.  At  this  time 
(1854)  it  was  commonly  supposed  that  the  villages  were 
on  the  north  bank  of  the  Mohawk.) 

4.  In  addition,  several  allusions  to  the  topography  are 
made  by  Father  Jogues  in  the  different  accounts  he  gave 
of  his  captivity.  From  the  river  to  the  foot  of  the  hill 
the  bank  was  steep  (MS.  1652;  the  word  used  is  the  old 
French  escors,  now  written  c'core,  or,  more  commonly, 
accore,  and  still  employed  in  naval  engineering.  It 
signifies,  not  cliff-like,  but  simply  a  strongly  inclined 
ascent.  The  name  is  still  given  in  Canada  to  a  part  of 
the  banks  of  the  mouth  of  the  Ottawa,  near  St.  Vincent 
de  Paul,  opposite  Montreal  Island.  It  exactly  describes 
the  condition  of  the  ascent  from  the  river  beach  to  the 
plateau  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  at  Auriesville  Station. 
Up  this  Father  Jogues  and  the  other  captives  were 
forced  with  a  rush,  pursued  by  sticks  and  stones;  he 
said  pathetically  to  Father  Buteux,  "We  climbed  up 
with  great  difficulty"). 

Near  the  village  was  a  ravine.  In  the  same  MS.  of 
1642  is  given  the  further  detail  in  regard  to  the  pre- 
cise spot  of  the  ravine  where  he  found  the  body  of 
Rene,  that  it  was  at  the  union  of  a  small  water-course 
with  a  rivulet.  The  ravine,  as  now  existing,  could  not 
be  more  exactly  described  than  by  this  and  the  other 
details  given  of  it  in  the  different  accounts. 

•In  all  the  accounts  the  hill  of  prayer,  overlooking  the 
village,  is  mentioned;  the  MS.  of  1652  describes  it  as  it 
still  is— "a  small  hill,  distant  from  the  village  a  musket- 
shot." 

5.  Besides  all  this,  the  first  village  was  at  a  known 
distance  from  Andagaron,  the   second    cattle;  and  this 


262  Life  of  Father  Jogues. 

again  a  given  distance  from  Tionnontoguen,  the  third. 
Both  of  these  are  found  at  the  precise  points  thus  in- 
dicated. 

To  sum  up,  a  few  only  of  these  details  thus  verified 
would  render  strongly  probable  the  identification  of  the 
sites;  the  meeting  of  all  in  one  spot  places  it  beyond 
reasonable  doubt;  while  the  fact  that  no  other  spot  of 
the  carefully  explored  Mohawk  Valley  verifies  any  num- 
ber of  them  taken  together,  as  General  Clark  from  per- 
sonal study  of  every  site  known  by  map,  account,  or 
tradition  declares  positively,  puts  the  matter  beyond  all 
possible  douUt,  or,  in  other  words,  gives  the  conclusion 
absolute  certainty. 

On  the  plateau  the  outline  of  the  Indian  town  is  still 
visible,  and  remains  of  Indian  occupation  have  been 
constantly  found  there.  The  field  in  which  are  found 
the  chief  remains  of  the  Indian  village  has  recently  been 
bought  by  the  Fathers  of  the  Society  of  Jesus.  They 
are  now  (1885)  taking  steps  toward  the  erection  of  a 
chapel  on  the  site;  this  will  restore  the  shrine  of  Notre 
Dame  de  Foy,  which  existed  in  the  flourishing  mission 
church  among  the  Mohawks  until  broken  up  by  the 
threatened  war  between  the  French  and  English  in  1684. 
It  will  also  serve  as  an  historical  commemoration  of  the 
blood  shed  in  this  spot  by  Rene  Goupil  and  Father 
Jogues,  and  the  many  other  French  and  Indian  Chris- 
tians here  massacred,  and  of  the  edifying  Christian 
church  which  later  on  sprung  from  their  blood,  renew- 
ing the  holiness  of  the  primitive  age  of  Christianity  in 
the  good  Catherine  Tegakwita  and  her  companions. 

All  these  circumstances,  and  the  finding  during  the 
necessary  researches  of  the  necessary  documents  for 
taking  up  the  Cause  of  Beatification,  led  to  the  presen- 
tation of  the  whole  matter  before  the  Third  Plenary 
Council  of  Baltimore  in  December,  1884.  This  resulted 
in  a  Conciliar  petition  to  the  Holy  Father,  Leo  XIII.,  for 
the  formal  introduction  before  the  Sacred  Congregation 


Petition  for  Beatification.  263 

of  Rites  at  Rome  of  the  Cause  of  Beatification  of  the 
three  servants  of  God,  Rene  Goupil  and  Father  Isaac 
Jogues,  both  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  as  Martyrs,  and 
Catherine  Tegakwita  as  Virgin.*  Since  that  time  other 
important  petitions  of  the  same  nature  liave  also  been 
sent  to  Rome,  especially  from  various  members  of  the 
venerable  Canadian  hierarchy,  and  from  more  than  a 
score  of  different  Indian  nations,  each  in  their  own  lan- 
guage. There  are  reasonable  grounds  for  hoping  that 
Providence  will  at  length,  by  the  authoritative  voice  of 
the  head  of  His  Church  on  earth,  confirm  those  titles, 
and  that  religious  veneration  and  confidence  which  all 
who  have  studied  these  holy  lives  have  already  in  heart 
bestowed  on  these  true  servants  of  God. 

*  Rev.  Father  Martin,  who  is  still  livinjj  at  an  advanced  age  in 
Paris,  France,  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  these  recent  labors. 
He  had  already  completed  a  life  of  Catharine  Tegakwita  some  years 
since,  which  still  remains  unpublished.  To  this  and  to  the  original 
documents  the  author  of  a  new  life  in  English,  nearly  ready  for  pub- 
lication, has  had  access.  The  details  relating  to  the  history  of  the 
Mission  of  the  Martyrs,  and  of  the  pilgrim  shrine  founded  there  and 
now  restored,  are  given  in  "The  Pilgrim  of  Our  Lady  of  Martyrs," 
brought  out  by  the  Superior  of  the  work,  the  Rev.  Joseph  Loyzance 
of  St.  Joseph's  Church,  Troy,  N.  Y. 


»4 


^^Wdt^^^ 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  UBRARIES 


»32.5 


0038533960  1 

J5954  ^,   N^ 


sc^  •  ^ 


l^artin 


J5954 


The   life   of  Father  Isaac   Jog- 

:ry^iL9b\j   uf 


the   Society, of   Jesus 


m^^w^^^^Mm^^m 


